Life Goes On
by ChelleLew
Summary: Divorcee Meg returned to the small town she left in "shame" courtesy of her ex-husband wondering what kind of reception she would find. She had left him with their house, their friends, and their life while she carved a new path free of the pain he had caused. She wondered if anyone knew the truth of why she left or if they would care. To her surprise, many people do. Dean cared.
1. Big Fish

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone you recognize. They belong to themselves or ownership of the WWE.**

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Meg sat down on the pier hard. Her hands shook as she grasped the ropes, closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. "I can do this." Opening her eyes she wrapped the rope around one piling before standing up and moving to one at the front of the boat. "I can do this." Nodding at the boat she looked one more time to make sure it wasn't taking on water before she walked quickly to the pick-up truck and pulled it away from the ramp. "So far, so good." She parked it without issue and returned to her boat. "I WILL do this. I WILL get out and back." She climbed down into the boat and checked one more time to make sure she had everything she wanted with her. _Marine radio, cell phone, sun screen, hat, GPS, bait, fishing rods, cooler, drink cooler, snacks, camera, e-reader, paddles (please don't let me need them), tow-rope, (I don't know how to tow anyone), and extra life-vests. What else could I have forgotten?_ Everything was secure so Meg lowered the engine into the water and turned the ignition. Satisfied that she wasn't going to get stranded in the channel, she untied from the dock and backed out slowly. Knowing she was a novice, she was careful to follow the rules of the waterways and try to give wide berth to the more experienced boaters.

Once out in the open water, Meg kept an eye on the GPS-fish finder. "Not too difficult. Stay in water deeper than the engine is going to draft. Why are you talking to yourself?" A smirk crossed her face. Suddenly a large school of fish appeared on the screen. "Hot damn!" She cut the engine and baited her line as quickly as she could. Dropping her line she looked at the screen again. "Dammit!" The school was gone. Meg began to reel her line back in when her rod bent over. Something big had struck! She flipped the reel exactly the way she was supposed to, having been fishing with her ex-husband many times before. The line spun as the fish raced away. Meg held the rod with one hand and locked it between her thighs as she fired up the engine. "This is when it really bites that I am fishing alone. I need another set of hands!" She looked around and saw another boat headed her direction. Recognizing the three occupants on board, she swore. "That doesn't help." She glared at the men headed her way. Looking at the fish running with her line, she turned in that direction and hoped they'd leave her alone. Giving the engine a little gas, she followed the fish and held the rod.

To her surprise, the other boat turned and cleared a path for her. _Were they watching her? Why would they do that? They were HIS friends, not hers._ "I can't think about this right now." Gripping the fishing rod more tightly, Meg tried to begin reeling in the monster.

"Don't! Just… Aw, hell! Wait a second!" Meg looked at the man who stood on the bow of the other boat that was now parallel with hers. Before she could question his orders, he said, "Hold steady. Don't jerk the wheel." The next thing she knew, the lunatic had done a hop/leap from one boat to the other. With a brief shake of his head and a thumbs-up to the men on the other boat, he stepped over her coolers and right up behind her. Meg was shocked when his arms surrounded her and grasped the wheel of the boat. "I've got the helm, so to speak. You go after that fish."

 _That sounds like a terrific plan. But the way you have your massive arms, I can't move. You have me and the pole stuck, right here between you and the steering wheel of the boat. Was that your plan or a happy accident? And why on God's gorgeous green bay are you helping me, the ex-wife of your friend? This doesn't make sense. I am confused. So confused. And I want this damn fish!_ Meg's thoughts raced as she reeled and released. "Smart fish. He's headed for the cove and the rocks." Before Meg could respond, her helper stepped closer and spoke in her ear. "Here's our plan to outsmart that fish." _Is it the thrill of the chase? Does he want to catch this fish that badly? I know how competitive these guys can get._

The boat sped up with the companion boat flying past. "Why are you helping me?"

"You are asking why I'm helping his ex-aren't you?" Meg didn't answer. He expertly maneuvered the boat into the cove. "Damn fish. This is going to get tricky now." Meg began reeling for all she was worth. His arms were wrapped around her, holding on to the rod. "You concentrate on reeling him in. I'll hold the rod." The fish ran and the duo sidestepped along the boat. "For the record, I'm not helping his ex. I'm helping an old friend, someone I haven't seen in a while, and she's a damn fine lookin' woman." Meg glanced wide-eyed over her shoulder. "What? He might be stupid but I'm not blind. Now, focus woman. We've got a fish to catch. You need to keep reeling on that monster fish."

The boat rocked as another man climbed from the other boat onto hers. "Alright, kids. Break it up. Need to get closer to the fish, not each other." He took the helm and crept the boat closer to the fish while the duo continued reeling it in. "Anybody got a net?"

"How the hell could I forget a net?" Meg wailed.

Both men laughed. "It's what, your first time out here by yourself? You aren't going to remember everything. Fish finder and marine radio… that's impressive. Those are what usually get forgotten. Not sure what you thought you'd do with paddles on a boat this size by yourself, but you brought them."

"Ha, ha. You are so funny, Seth. So, so funny." Meg glared as she looked over the side of the boat. "I can see him." She whispered as if that would keep the fish from escaping.

"And Jay tossed me my net, so you are in luck. Watch the mouth, woman." He moved quickly to their side. "Dean, hold her steady." Meg felt the arms surrounding her sides squeeze tighter as the man behind her seemed to take a step closer. He pulled the fishing rod closer to her middle as she stared into the water.

The hands holding the rod seemed to readjust. Now the one fisted at the bottom of the fishing rod was placed firmly against her abdomen and his chest was plastered against her back. "Seth's got him, watch… watch…" He spoke directly into her ear. Seconds later the water erupted in a fury of angry monster fish fighting against the bonds of net. Meg was yanked away from the side and set on the back deck of her boat. She watched the two men turn the net upside down and hold the squirming fish against the bottom of the boat. "Just a… nother… minute… I've… got… the… hook." Dean pulled the well-set hook free from the striped-bass's mouth with the pliers that Jay had passed over. "Time for a picture and then toss it back." Meg stuck out her bottom lip. "Not gonna work, sweets. This monster is out-of-season. It goes back. Let's snap your picture and go." Meg shook her head and stood beside Dean. Seth snapped a picture of Dean holding the huge fish and then Dean laid the fish in the water. They watched it whirl and swim away.

"Good thing, look over there." Jay nodded towards the opening of the cove and at the Natural Resources Police that were headed their way.

"I guess I really owe you guys." Meg sighed. She turned to face the officers on the now-stopped police boat. "Good afternoon, officers."

"Good afternoon, ma'am. That was quite a catch you had. Fought you for a long time." one officer greeted. Meg realized that they had been observing from afar.

Jay realized that as well. "She took her picture and let it go. No trophies here."

Seth agreed. "We just watched it swim away, no harm no foul."

Dean continued, "I have the hook right here." He held it up as if to prove the massive animal had been released unharmed.

The officer harrumphed. "Gentlemen, we watched the catch-and-release process. We're aware that that bass was released unharmed. Are there any other fish on board?"

Meg spoke up. "No sir. I was lucky to catch that one on my first try. And even more lucky that these friends saw me and came over to help, otherwise I would have lost the fish and the rod." she acknowledged sheepishly. "I have to admit that I was over my head battling that fella."

Dean grasped her shoulder. "It was an experience. You'll learn. I doubt you'll forget a net next time." Meg grinned. "Is there anything else you need, officers?"

"Just a look into the live well." The smug look on the officer's face rubbed the friends the wrong way.

Meg immediately slipped past Seth and opened the hatch to the live well. "Nothing in here but heavy duty gloves – sorry Dean, I forgot about them – a scoop to add water to the well, my filet knife in its cute little leather cover, a measuring tape – I can't believe we didn't measure that fish, guys! – and some other assorted tooly things that I saw at the supply store that I thought might come in handy. These guys will probably laugh and tell me I wasted my money but I've not come out here alone before. I just know that when I was fishing with someone else and I caught an eel we needed a tool that we didn't have and I didn't want to be in that position again. I'm going to be ready."

The officer smirked again. "Except the live well is full of all that stuff, lady." He shook his head. "Just remember what is in season. We'll be around." They pulled away.

Meg looked at the live well. "The jerk has a point."

Seth and Dean peeked over her shoulders. "Yep. And you do have a lot of stuff you'll never need." Dean waved to Jay. The other man tossed a small duffle across. "Perfect. So, let's clear this out." Dean grabbed the stuff from his bag and shoved it into her bag. Meg cocked and eyebrow in confusion, not sure what the man was doing. Her sunscreen was now sitting on the driver's seat. The rest of her things were now buried underneath Dean's. Then he took her by her shoulders and moved her to the side so he could sit beside the live well. He emptied the well piece by piece into his duffle with the exception of the scoop. "See? Plenty of room for fish now."

Seth nodded at Dean. "So you're gonna keep an eye on her?"

"Yep."

"Good." He jumped back onto his boat. "How about heading over to the cliffs?"

Meg shrugged her shoulders. Dean looked down at her and told the other guys, "Sounds like a plan. We'll head that way." The other boat took off. "Your shoulders and nose are pink. It doesn't look like you got much sunscreen on yet." He picked up the bottle and squirted a glob in his hand. "You know better, Meg. The sun beats down and reflects off the water. It's a double-whammy." As he spoke his large sunscreen covered hands began to caress her shoulders. She seemed almost frozen as his fingers slid under the tank-top straps. His hands slid to her biceps, encircling her entire arm easily. "I don't want you to burn." He picked up the bottle and dumped more into his palm. Handing her the bottle, she wordlessly took it as she stared up at him. He rubbed it between his hands and then he started rubbing her face. She closed her eyes. "Good girl." When her mouth opened to retort, he caught her chin with his index finger. "Shh. Enjoy the pampering. Bet it didn't happen that often, did it?" Slowly his hands slid down to caress her neck as he spread the sunscreen across her skin. "This skin needs to be protected, not burned. And you need to be pampered." He took the bottle and gathered more sunscreen. "Meg…" He rubbed along the exposed skin at the top of her back. There was only one area that was left. He looked into her eyes as his hands slid to her collar bone. Meg held her breath and waited to see what Dean would do. Stepping closer, she could feel his breath breezing across her face. His index finger of his left hand seemed to brush both of her breasts as he pulled her top away from her skin just slightly. His right hand began again at her collar bone. "Such sensitive skin, this _cannot_ burn." He skimmed across her chest and then murmured, "Tsk, tsk. First place I've left streaks. I guess I have to go over this again." This time he slowly caressed the area until he worked his way down to the gentle swell of her breasts. Finally breaking eye contact, Dean glanced down. "I don't think these have ever seen sunlight." His hand grazed the tops of her breasts, both of which were barely exposed by the tank top.

"D…D…D…Dean." Meg stuttered his name.

"Shhh. I'm just looking out for a friend." He whispered as he let go of her shirt.

"You know damn well you're doing more than that." Meg muttered as she stepped away from him.

Dean hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her against his hip so he could whisper against the back of her head. "You are caught up in who **_his_** friends were."

"Are" she corrected.

" ** _Were_** " he emphasized as he continued. "And you seem to see yourself as his ex. I see you as something else; someone I haven't seen in a long time. Before you were someone I couldn't touch because she belonged to another man. That's his loss. His loss is my gain. Because now… Now you are free. Now I can come after you. No need to tense up, friends is a fine place to start. I'm just making sure you recognize that it IS just a starting point."

As soon as he moved his arm she retreated to the back of the boat. "Dean," she whispered. "Dean, you can't know… You can't mean…"

"I know and I mean every word. I just needed the chance to say them to you. You deserve the time to think on them, mull them over." He seemed very confident as he spoke. He moved to the wheel of the boat and fired the engine. The conversation was obviously closed for the time being.

Meg pulled a fold-up side seat down and sat towards the back of the boat enjoying the breeze hitting her face. She knew Dean looked over his shoulder periodically to watch her but she kept her eyes averted. _Think, Meg, think. This subject is obviously going to come up again… ha ha. Come up. You know what you felt. Dean is no slouch in_ _that_ _department! If he wanted to find a secluded cove and lay down in the bottom of the boat… MEG! Get your mind out of the gutter!_ She felt a flush creeping up her face. _They were good friends. They were together so much. If anyone were to know about_ _ **his**_ _girlfriend, it would have been Dean, Jay, and Seth. These guys would have been the ones covering for him. Dean's declarations now could be out of guilt. On the other hand… Meg, no, you can't dare to hope. Think about the age difference. Dean is so much younger than you are. You can't possibly entertain the idea!_ This time she let herself glance his way. It should have been just quick glance and that wouldn't have hurt, except that quick glance lingered. _He is fine looking. Who wouldn't be enthralled by his curly dirty blond hair, that neatly trimmed golden beard, or the way his sunglasses glasses balanced on his nose?_ Meg continued mentally cataloging Dean's physical features; his broad shoulders, his thick, strong neck, and the muscles on his arms that were bared by his torn t-shirt sleeves. _It would be so easy to fall into those arms and stare into those eyes. What color are they? Blue? Green? A mixture of blue and green? I can't tell from here. Wait, he's looking back at me! He's smiling at me!_ Panicked, Meg quickly jerked her head and looked back out over the water.

Dean's chuckle filled her ears. "Oh, Meg, Meg, Meg. You know you feel it too. Nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart."

Her whispered denial was caught in the wind and carried to his ears, wiping the smile from his face. "I'm not ashamed. I'm confused by how fast this is moving. How fast I want… I could let…" She closed her eyes as she stopped speaking. She didn't see Dean's white-knuckle grip on the wheel. He cut back the speed of the boat and sat down in the driver's seat. "Meg, enjoy the afternoon. You were going to come out here fishing. That's what we are going to do. You, me, and the guys. We've all missed seeing you. We're catching up with an old friend. No pressure."

"But…"

Dean looked over his shoulder. "Promise. Today is all about friends and catching up." Meg nodded. "Look at me, Meg." He waited until he had eye contact. "Relax. It's all about fishing and fun. No pressure, not today. I promise. Just getting to know each other again." She nodded again. "You said moving too fast." He reached across the small boat and snagged hold of her hand. "Come closer, Meg." He widened his legs and braced his feet so he could guide her around to sit on his left thigh. He rested his left hand against her hip. Waves rolled the boat gently back and forth. They just sat together for a moment in silence, Meg on Dean's lap, boat barely making forward progress, neither one looking at the other. Meg could feel Dean's fingers pressing against her hip bone and threading into her belt loop. _This is what it's supposed to feel like. But…_ "Don't go there, Meg. You think too hard. Enjoy the time, enjoy the day. We'll have some fun, make some memories, have some more great fishing tales… Then we'll worry about the other stuff. No need to ruin a good day fishing with other worries, right?" Shifted his hand and rubbed his thumb just under her left breast.

Meg let out a tiny gasp and tried to jump away but Dean had dropped his hand back down to lock her in place. "'Bout time you two got here!" Seth shouted. "We figured you'd buggered out."

"Nah, Meg needed sunscreen before we did anything else. We're set now." Dean explained.

"Women." Jay snorted. "Just slap on a cap and be done with it."

Seth rolled his eyes. "And that's why you'll never have a girlfriend. Well, one reason." He snorted and cast his line again.

Now that Dean had cut the motor, Meg was once again free from his grip. She looked at the sky and realized that the heat of the day was soon going to be upon them and she hadn't pulled the movable canopy up for shade. "Um, Dean? Would it be a good idea if I… If we put the canopy up now?" Together, the duo made quick work of the snap-in-place canopy that provided shelter from the heat of the day. They fished from the stern of the boat, ate in the shade, laughed with friends, and reminisced over times past.

It was Jay who finally broached the taboo topic. "Everyone says I have no tact so I'll do it. What the hell happened between the two of you anyway? If there was one couple I thought would go the distance, it was the two of you."

Meg shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You really don't know?"

Seth asked, "How the hell would we know?"

"You are his friends. You have to know something!" she snapped.

Dean looked Meg in the eye. "We don't know what happened." Meg thought he was starting to look upset that she didn't believe him. "The fact that you keep calling us **_his_** friends is getting old."

Meg reached for his arms, stroking them softly. "When… Before…" She closed her eyes. "In that other lifetime, you were his friends." She spoke softly. "That's how I got to know all of you. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have met." Meg opened her eyes and met the concerned gazes of each man. "He changed. You all saw it. Some commented on it. Somewhere along the line he got himself a girlfriend. He had a real, true girlfriend. Like he would leave early for work to be with her, come home late because he'd been with her, say he'd been at the fire house when he'd really been with her…"

"Oh, hell no."

"No, he didn't."

"There's no f-ing way!"

Meg turned and started talking towards the boat engine. "Yes, there is. Because she came to our house with her pregnancy test and a sex tape. He looked at me and shrugged and then asked, 'What do you want me to do? There's a baby. Get over it.' I didn't have a whole lot of choice. The whole situation made me sick. Then I wasn't sure who knew and who had been covering for him. Obviously there have been people covering for him since it had gone on this long, I just don't know who. I mean, he'd told stories about guys at work who had girlfriends and had gotten caught… They seem to shrug it off like it's no big deal. It is a big deal. People get hurt. It seems to me like there's massive fall-out and impact on many people's lives."

Dean grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards the guys. "He's the ass. His loss." Jay growled. "His fall-out to deal with."

Seth seconded the emotion. "We're here, Meg. We knew whatever went down was bad. You got us in the divorce."

Dean caressed her jaw. "See? We **_were_** his friends. He introduced us to you. Now we **_are_** yours. You get to keep us, boat with us, fish with us, feed us…" Meg giggled, drawing Dean in closer. "Someday he'll figure out what he gave up but by then it will be too late, because by then I won't be giving you up." Dean whispered against her cheek before pulling back, eyes blazing. More loudly he said, "I mean it, Meg. You'd better open up those coolers. Feeding time." Seth and Jay cheered.


	2. Friends?

Seth and Jay had headed back to shore a couple hours ago. Dean and Meg tried a few more fishing spots before putting the rods away for the day. "Alright. How many times did you navigate the boat by yourself?" he asked.

"Seriously? If you are on a boat, are you going to let a girl have the helm?" she snorted.

Dean shook his head. "Meg, we're different men. Scratch everything you know and just answer my question, which is obviously never. Dumbass." He made himself comfortable in the captain's chair and patted his lap. "Have a seat, sweetheart." Meg raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Seriously, get over here and sit down. You are going to learn how to navigate these waters or at least get your first lesson. It's important if you are going to be out here alone or if we are out here together and I lock into a big one like you did earlier. If I'm fighting a monster fish who's going to be driving the boat?"

Meg moved closer. "Me."

Dean pulled her against his side as he smiled up at her. "You. So you need to know what you are doing. It's better to learn while things are peaceful and calm, not while we're chasing that big fish and under that stress." She slid around and perched lightly against him. "Woman," he growled against her shoulder before yanking her against his chest. "Sit still. You are light as a feather."

"Liar." she muttered, knowing he couldn't see the little grin on her face.

"Babe, I've got you by a good foot and at least a hundred pounds. You can't hurt me. Now, let's focus on the lesson. You were reading the fish finder as a depth finder. Let's use some other features on this GPS because you actually have a really nice model." Meg listened to Dean explain how to use the electronic gadget, accelerating the engine, and the sensitivity of the steering. "Alright, next lesson. You've lived around here for years. Landmarks look different from the water. Look around what do you see?"

Meg looked at the shoreline. As she followed along the water's edge and looked farther inland, she finally pointed. "Over there! That's the water tower for town!"

"Which town?" When she glared at him, he laughed. "Teasing! Good job. That's one. It's good to have at least two more."

"Can I call those cliffs a landmark?" she asked.

"If you know what they are called." he said with a smile.

She groaned. "I'll know if you tell me."

"But we're pretending I'm not here. You are out here alone having engine trouble and you are going to call me to come help you. You need three landmarks so I know where to find you." Meg wanted to smack the smirk off Dean's face. He looked so adorable as his lips twisted and eyes twinkled.

"So now we are role-playing scenarios. Thanks for the heads-up." Meg rubbed her chin. "So my engine quit working. You didn't specify whether it just quit or whether I tried to refire it after fishing for a while. Either way, I would check the depth-finder and see if I was in the channel. If I'm not, I would anchor so I would stay put and not drift from my current location. That would seem to me like the best plan, unless there was a chance that the tide would take me towards town. Then I would start looking at the other boats out here on the water and since I apparently don't recognize any of them I would then start looking at landmarks as I got out my phone." Pausing for a second, Meg turned with her bottom lip stuck out and whimpered, "Oh, please, big strong Dean… I am stuck out here on the water all by my lonesome in a boat that won't go. Can't you please, please come rescue helpless lil' ol' me?" For extra dramatic effect, she had pressed her palm against his chest. For this reason she was able to feel his heart start to pound. She began to pull back. "Um…"

Dean grabbed the back of her head with his right hand. "Not backing away now, babe." His eyes were focused in on her mouth. His left hand covered her hand on his chest, keeping her frozen in place. "You are stuck on the water all alone, remember? You need my help. Tell me how to find you. You've got one landmark. You need two more. Find them, Meg. I can't get to you without them." His thumb began rubbing circles against her scalp. "Don't leave me panicking about you out here in this boat."

"Um… I can see the town water tower but I'm not very close to that."

"You already told me that. Find another one."

"Yeah, ah, well, I, um, I was near the cliffs where we were fishing that first time but I'm between them and the cove."

"That's good. It means something to me. Coast Guard would be clueless but it's personal to me. I need a third point of reference. You can do this, Meg." Concentrating was difficult with his breath hot on her skin.

"You are distracting me. You said friends today…" She looked into the eyes that were so close, their noses nearly brushing with every gentle rock of the boat.

"Mmmm." Dean finally raised his gaze from her lips to meet her eyes. "Friends. Yes, really good friends." Tilting his head to the side slightly he seemed to wait a moment. When Meg didn't back away, he pulled her closer. Her fingers gripped his arm. She sighed his name and closed her eyes. Keeping a slow pace, he let his lips rest against hers. When she parted hers, he parted his. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, he supported her head as she seemed to wilt against him. The moan from the back of her throat was so erotic. _Was that from me? Just from a kiss… This kiss? Oh… And he's holding my head and my hand. I can feel his heartbeat. His heart is pounding, racing. This affects him as much as it affects me. And it's just a kiss…_

Dean pulled his mouth from hers, drawing a deep breath. He whispered, "I can't apologize for kissing you, even if you think it feels like it's moving too fast. Meg…" She cut him off with a quick press of her lips. Just a quick peck, enough to let him know that everything was okay. "Well. Good to know. Alrighty then." He dropped his arms to her waist as the continued to hold eye contact. Now that he wasn't holding her hands, her arms had risen to encircle his neck and were toying with the hair at the base of his neck. "So…" He trailed off as her eyes dropped back to his mouth. "We can stay right here for a while longer or we can try to get the boat back on the trailer before dark. You might want that lesson while it's still daylight."

"Good point." she agreed.

"One you have no idea…" He shook his head.

Meg leaned forward to press another quick kiss to his lips. "I do because… But you made me a promise and you are a man of your word. And as much as you say not to compare," her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "There's only one man I've known so it's hard not to. I can only go by what I know." Dean gripped her hips hard at her admission, knowing _exactly_ what she meant. "I know you are a good man. I am in good hands. It will work out."

"That it will. That it will." He kissed her nose and turned her around. "Next lesson; we are taking the boat back to the docks. Focus and learn." Meg swallowed hard and straddled his thigh. _Focus on the boat, on the water, on the buoys, anything but the heat._ "Very good. Keep it below 5 knots. That's going to feel like we're crawling. It's important not to make wake because of the boats in the marinas on either side of us. The boats moored in them just crash repeatedly throughout the day needlessly, so be respectful and obey the limit. Keep to the right." When they arrived at the dock, Meg was pleased that no one else was around. "Choose a side and pull close. Whatever you do, don't let the engine hit bottom. Cut it and let us drift in." Meg followed his directions precisely. Dean stood and caught hold of a piling, wrapping the ropes that Meg had to secure the boat after she raised the engine. "Here's the real question – Do you want to try to back the trailer to the boat?"


	3. Home

Meg had followed Dean's directions and had them at the docks safely. Dean didn't even try to hide the laughter in his voice as she asked, "Here's the real question – Do you want to try to back the trailer to the boat?"

"Stop being a shmuck. I think I've done pretty good for a first timer." Meg said with her head held high.

She pulled her key ring from her bag and placed her foot on the side of the boat to disembark. Dean grabbed her waist and pulled her back into his arms. "Meg, you're phenomenal. Don't ever think otherwise."

Meg blinked up at Dean and then handed him the keys. "Know what? I think you'd better back up the truck. I know my limits." Setting her upright, Dean climbed from the boat and walked down the dock muttering about women drivers. "I can still hear you!" she called.

"You're supposed to!" he called back. "Next time, at least try to drive your own truck!" Meg watched the lights flash as he used the lock/unlock feature to find the vehicle and before long the truck was in motion. It was obvious that Dean was an expert at navigating vehicles and trailers. _He thinks I am going to try this with him watching me? Not if I can help it!_ She untied the boat from the pilings and maneuvered it towards the front of the trailer. Once it was close enough, Dean was able to attach the hook and winch the boat the rest of the way up. Meg pulled the plug and went about securing the items that needed to be tied down or moving those that would need to be put into the truck up to the bow so she could hand them to Dean once they were in the parking lot. _This is much easier when there is someone else around._ "Did you pull the plug? Where is it? Did you…" He went through a checklist with her as he secured the engine for travel. Then he took the bag she wanted in the truck and set it on the ground before reaching for her. She'd gotten one leg over the side of the boat when his hands spanned her waist. "I've got you. Lean into me." Meg looked back over her shoulder. She swung her other leg over and let him slide her down. Once her feet hit pavement, Dean pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his nose against her neck. "Feels so good."

"Perfect ending to a perfect day." she agreed.

Dean lifted his head and nipped her earlobe. "Day's not over yet." Not letting her say anything in response, he snagged the bag from the ground with one hand and took her hand with the other. Pulling her towards the truck, he opened the passenger door for her. "Where we takin' the boat?"

"Home." she said quietly.

"Not the one you had with him?!" Dean's tone was high and incredulous.

"Oh no! I couldn't live there again." she said vehemently. "I bought a house in foreclosure. It needs a lot of work but it's mine and he can't say anything about it."

Dean closed the door and walked around the truck. He stowed the bag in the extended cab before sitting in the driver's seat. "So, where is this house?"

With the truck inside the garage and the boat cleaned and covered beside it, Meg and Dean walked inside her house together. "He doesn't know you are in town?"

"I think it would just cause unnecessary drama. I really don't want to see them or anything, they live their lives and I live mine. This house was a really good deal." She looked around at the room they were standing in. "It gives me choices. I've always thought the house was pretty but in need of some TLC. When I get done working on it, I can keep it and continue living here or I can sell the place for, hopefully, a profit. Not exactly a flip because it will take me some time but that's okay. I don't mind. It depends on being able to coexist amicably in a small space."

Dean looked down at her, his brow lightly furrowed. "You don't think you're causing yourself unnecessary pain?"

Meg shook her head. "That's what the time away was for. I needed time to let the, I guess the best analogy would be time to let the infection clear and a scab to form. The wound is still there but it isn't fresh anymore. The scab is bendable, pliable now. I'm healing and moving on with my life. This town is my home, too. I have a right to be here as well. I didn't do anything wrong, so why should I leave?"

"Great points. Remember them because he will probably try to make it hard on you." She nodded in agreement. Dean took her hand and started walking through the house. "Structurally the place seems sound. You did have it inspected, right?" Meg rolled her eyes. "Too much?" She nodded. "Sorry. The paint is flaking. I'm hoping that's not lead-based."

"It was tested and came back negative." Meg pulled him to a stop in the middle of the living room. Holding both his hands in hers, she smiled up at him as she spoke. "The first rooms I stripped were my bedroom and the kitchen. I wore goggles and a facemask. The bedroom has been repainted so I am sure that I'm not breathing in any paint dust while I'm sleeping. As for the kitchen, I don't want to eat paint so that has been thoroughly sanitized as well. I just don't know how I want to remodel it. The bathrooms' are next to be stripped. It's visualizing how I want to remodel that I am finding challenging. That will come, though."

Dean looked around the room. "You've had the chimneys inspected?"

"Better. I had a new flue dropped the one working chimney. The other chimney is used for the furnace. I figure I will need to upgrade that in the fall." Meg raised one of their entwined hands and poked his chest with one finger. "Stop it. Most rooms have ceiling fans and window air conditioners will work for the summer. Central air won't work for a house with clapboard siding like this." Dean started to open his mouth again. "I said stop. Don't even think about it. This isn't your project."

"I didn't say anything." His lips brushed against her temple. "You do have a massive independent streak." She pulled back to look up at him. "I admire that in you, always have. You don't cower back. You know what you want and what needs to be done and you do it. It's an admirable trait to have." Then he continued. "So is accepting help from friends."

"I accepted your help today." Meg reminded him with a smile.

He wrapped his arms around her in a bear-hug and pressed his lips to her hairline. "You really weren't given a choice, were you?" Meg wound her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest. "Alright, Meg." He sighed as he sat on the couch, pulling her down with him. "I know this is your home and your project." He cupped her cheek in his hand and tilted her head so he could look into her eyes. "We settled on 'friends' so I'll say that a friend wouldn't let you do all of this alone so you are getting help whether you want it or not." Meg opened her mouth to argue only to be silenced by a firm, quick kiss. Dean continued, his voice low and gravelly, "We both know that using the word 'friends' isn't going to work for long. Hell, we've had a hard enough time with this today…" He closed the distance and kissed her harder. Keeping their foreheads together, Dean spoke once more. "Now, Meg, be honest with yourself. I know I've felt the attraction and treasured your friendship for… a while. Acting on it now feels natural."

Meg gave a gentle squeeze before quietly speaking. "I understand that. And I feel the… attraction as well. But remember that I'm coming off a marriage that ended badly. Shush. Let me finish. If my heart was free and clear, no scabs and scars, I would be falling head over heels for you. Well, that's not completely true either. I'd still be cautious with this age difference but I'd be tumbling faster than I am. Less scared, I guess. The memories are still so fresh."

Dean's heart was racing as he asked, "But you are going to give this a chance. Right?"

She slid her hand up to caress his cheek. Carefully, she removed his sunglasses and placed them on the table behind the couch. Dean blinked at her as she hovered over him. Meg kissed his left eyelid and then his right. She dropped a quick peck on the tip of his nose. Then she zigzagged a series of light touches across his lips, starting at one corner and working her way to the other. Her voice was low and breathy as it ghosted across his ear. "You make me feel safe. You make me want to leap even though I am afraid. You make me feel…" She trailed off her last statement in favor of grasping the back of his head with her hands and opening her mouth over his. Tilting her head to the side, she fit her lips to his before letting their tongues slide together. Parry, retreat, parry, retreat, parry, parry, parry, retreat… Meg felt her pulse thundering in her ears. His arms were crossed on her back and his fingers were threaded in her hair, holding her head immobile. She moaned as he took control of the kiss, advancing after her last retreat. He kept her still as he took, thrusting the way she imagined he would… _Dear Lord, Meg!_ She mentally slapped herself as a full-body tremor wracked her body at the thought. With a hairs-breath separating their lips, Meg sighed his name. "Dean." The way he had her sitting, she could feel the effect just saying his name had on his body. _He is so hard… That has to be uncomfortable._ "D-d-Dean."

Fingers ran through her hair. "Shh. No panicking. Shh." He tucked her head under his chin as he stroked her hair and back. "Shh. Nothing more than a kiss tonight."

"Harumph. Earlier you said that we were just catching up as friends today, no pressure for anything else. Now you say nothing more than a kiss. I just know that I don't go around kissing my friends and no one has kissed me like that…" she trailed off in a whisper.

Dean's arms reflexively tightened as he growled, "There'd better not be anybody else kissing you like that."

"I…"

"Hush. Just be. We're going to sit here and just… be." Dean's chin rested against the top of her head as they sat curled together. Meg could feel his body calming as they rested against each other. "Meg, I think I'm going to go now. I'd like to come over after work tomorrow, say around 6:30, with dinner. We can eat in and I can help with something around here."

Meg rubbed her hand across his chest. "I have to work tomorrow. Tuesday works, though."

"Tuesday it is. I will see you at 6:30 with dinner."


	4. Bosom Buddies

Walking back into the station Monday evening, Meg looked at her ringing phone. "Sorry, I need to take this."

"Judging from that smile, it's a guy!" her partner teased, giving her a shove.

Meg couldn't hide her smile as she shrugged her shoulders and walked away. "Hi."

"Hey. Thought I'd call and see how you were doin' today." Dean's voice had a slightly unsure tone to it as if now that he had her on the phone he wasn't sure that calling was the right thing to do. "I know you said you had to work tonight…"

"Yeah, I'm still here. 24 on 48 off…"

"Really? What exactly do you do? 'Cause that's not the schedule I remember you having."

Meg kicked her work boots at the concrete floor. "It's not the one I used to have. I made a few changes in my life, remember? The 'new and improved' me."

Dean grumbled, "Just don't make too many changes. I like you. Old, new, and everything in between. You are just awesome."

Meg chuckled. "And that's why I lo… like being around you so much. You are a balm on my aching heart. Keep it up and I might not let… I might let you hang around for a while." She face-palmed and was glad he couldn't see the fuchsia blush that colored her face and neck.

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere." he promised.

Tones screeched through the station. "Gotta go. See ya!" Meg said as she hung up and dropped her phone in her pocket. She sprinted for her seat in the ambulance before the driver reached his door. "Let's roll!"

* * *

Meg really wasn't surprised when she pulled into her driveway on Tuesday to see that Dean's truck was already there. "I guess he thinks I have some 'splainin' to do." she said to herself in her best Lucille Ball impression. She shook her head as she grabbed her gear-bag from the back of the truck and headed inside.

Dean met her at the garage door with a carry-out cup. "Hot tea." he said as he reached for the bag. She just looked up at him. "What? You don't like coffee."

"I'm amazed you remember that from a conversation we had how many years ago? It wasn't yesterday."

Dean held her chin between his index finger and thumb. "There's not much about you that I don't remember. It's important to me. You're important to me. Let's get you inside. You look exhausted."

"Gee thanks, dear." Meg laughed, walking past him and shaking her keys. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. Once Dean was in, she shut the door and knelt to unlace the tops of her work boots.

"So you are an EMT with…"

Meg looked up from the floor. "The short version – I wanted to completely revamp my life. I didn't want to have anything left that _he_ had touched; tainted. I left this town and this fire department. I left all of my, our, his, our, um, friends that we knew. I was a cleared EMT provider with excellent references willing to start immediately. They jumped at the chance to hire me. I bust my tail over there. I don't complain and I don't make waves. I also don't want to jump to the 'truck, so they love me. I like what I am doing." She stuck her boots in the bin by the door and stood. "I was going to tell you tonight. We'd talked about other things on Sunday."

Dean backed Meg against the wall. "It's fine. I should have realized that you'd changed jobs when you said you were working Monday night. And we haven't talked about mine yet, not that it's exciting or anything. I'm just wondering when you are coming back to the fire department." He nuzzled his face against her neck as he slid his hands under her thighs.

"Um, I haven't decided yet. That will mean… facing… dealing with… and I don't want to… yet."

He stepped closer, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I am picturing us running out the door together on a call. Me jumping on the rescue and you onto the ambo; me grabbing the Hurst tool and popping open a mangled car door and you right there with the stretcher and collar to treat the patient. Teamwork at its finest."

Meg's arms wound around his shoulders. "Quite the vivid imagination you have there, sir."

Letting his whiskers graze her lips as he spoke, Dean muttered, "You truly have no idea." Her thighs clenched involuntarily. With his body sandwiched between them, this movement was impossible for him to miss. "Meg…" He reached up and grabbed her hands, capturing them in one of his and pinning them to the wall over her head. His other hand cradled the base of her skull as he took possession of her mouth, capturing her lips with bruising force. His hips pressed against hers, keeping her locked in place against the wall. As quickly as it started, he released her. His head dropped to her shoulder as he panted and his hands held her hips in place so she didn't fall. "Meg, I… No force… I didn't mean…"

She flexed her legs to pull him back in contact as she caressed his jaw with her thumbs. "It's nice to feel desired." she whispered. "Never thought my BDU's were sexy."

Dean pulled back and pressed into the juncture of her hips once more, knowing she could feel his arousal. "Everything you wear is sexy. And all I've been able to think about is taking it… anything… off of you. The hell with slow. I know I said friends. Meg…" She wriggled against him, untucking her shirt from her pants. "What are you…?" Keeping her legs locked around his waist, she lightly pushed away on his chest so she had room to pull her shirt over her head without punching him in the face. "Oh… My…" He lifted her higher and buried his face in the valley of her breasts. She felt the straps on her bra sliding down and the fasteners on the back given way as he pulled the garment from her body. She was moving through the air and then she was lying on the kitchen table with Dean standing between her legs, pressing her breasts together. "Perfect. So perfect." he whispered before bending over to capture one peak in his mouth. He suckled hard, rewarded by an immediate squeal from his woman. He rotated between the two, listening to her moans and pants. When she began to beg, he knew there was no going back. He reached for her belt and swore. "Not happening on a table…" he grumbled, wrapping her legs around his waist once more. She grabbed his shirttails and began pulling on them. "Give me a minute. We'll get to the bedr…" Meg bit his ear and yanked his shirt up to his armpit. "Alright, alright." He put her down long enough to toss off his shirt before picking her back up and continuing his trek across the living room. Meg teased his nipple and toyed with his light chest hair before plunging her hand south, into his pants. "Meg!" He stumbled on the stairs as her hand surrounded his length. Up and down, up and down. "Stop!" She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. Dean carefully pulled her hand free and tossed her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, his hand clutching her backside none too lightly. He reached the bedroom, knowing that Meg said she had painted the one she slept in, and strode inside. He kicked off his shoes and one-handed the fastener on his pants. Letting Meg slide down his chest, he put one finger on her nose. "Stay." he muttered. Taking two steps back, he shucked his jeans and socks in record time, never taking his eyes from her. He grabbed her waistband and tore at the fasteners, pulling and tugging the fabric away from her body. As soon as she was bare, Meg began to feel self-conscious. Dean's face was level with her not-so-flat belly and her hardly-model-shaped thighs. Before she could begin to question what he thought, his warm wet tongue was making a path all around her skin. Her hands trembled when they touched his head and she whimpered his name. "Oh, Meg… Meg…" He followed her down onto the bed, covering her as they both reached the mattress. Her thighs parted, he nestled between them like he'd always been there. And then she whimpered his name again. Dean couldn't hold off any longer. When he thrust, Meg arched into him and they were moving as one. There was no separation, no disconnect. Their forward and backward connection was in perfect unison, keeping them connected as one until they exploded, her head thrown back in a scream of ecstasy that he'd never imagined he'd see up close and personal and then he felt himself come from the bottom of his soul into her body. All he could do was let it happen - his back bowed, his own head bent back as he bellowed her name.

Meg's eyes began to close as she felt Dean's head drop to her chest. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "So, friends?"

His whiskers brushed against her breast as he replied, "Smartass. Fine. We're bosom buddies."


	5. Reality Sucks

A warm draw on her breast pulled Meg from her drowsy slumber. Whiskers rubbed against the sensitive skin before another lengthy suckle teased her eyes open. Bright blue eyes twinkled up at her before he bent down to suck long and hard on the twin peak. Meg curled her fingers around his shoulders and began to lightly scratch his back as she rocked her hips. _He's still inside me… and hard as a rock… Oh, dear Lord…_ Her head tilted back, her neck extending as she prepared to slide into oblivion. "Not yet, babe. Not yet…" He hooked her knees over her arms and folded their hands together on either side of her head. Now that she was nearly folded in half, he had full control over her as he rose to his knees. "I want to see you, take you, in so many ways…" he whispered, pulling out slowly and sliding back in just as slowly. "Right on the edge…" Another slow exit and return. "You feel… Oh… Meg…" Out… In…

Meg clenched his fingers as she whimpered. "Dean… Please…" Out… In…

"Please… What?" Out… In…

"DEAN! Please… I… I… DEAN! I NEED!"

Out… In… "What do…" Out… In… "you need?" he panted.

" ** _YOU!_** I NEED YOU! **_PLEASE!_** " Meg's voice cracked as she screamed and bucked against him. Dean gripped her shoulders as he began to piston in earnest, slamming their bodies together so hard the bed began to creak and groan. " ** _DEAN!_** " Meg shattered just before Dean went over the edge for the second time.

Curling beside her, Dean tucked Meg against his side and kissed the tip of her ear. "Welcome home from work." he teased.

Meg swatted the elbow she could reach. "You're not right." she laughed.

He wormed and slithered his arms around behind her until he could squeeze her tightly. "I just don't want things to get weird."

She threaded one of her hands with one of his. "That's up to us. This can get stilted and weird or we can talk like we've been doing."

A warm kiss stayed on her shoulder for several seconds. Dean whispered, "This is my first real relationship. I don't want to screw it up. Just tell me when I do, okay?"

Meg let her other hand slide down to rest on his thigh. She whispered back, "Dean, we both have doubts and fears. As long as we keep talking the way we are, we'll be fine. Open communication – communication, not open bedroom – and this just might work." A growl began deep in his throat. "You seem to agree. So we keep talking and finding our way."

Dean rolled Meg onto her back. "One thing I know - just as sure as you and I are laying side by side; I am a possessive and jealous man. I may come across as fun-loving and care-free but there is a streak inside that shouldn't be crossed. You, my dear, have found that place. You are mine and no one else's. I don't share my woman. My boat, my tools, my fishing rod, but no way in hell is anyone taking my woman."

Meg sat up enough to capture his lips with hers. Once he was silent she said, "No danger of that." A huge smile lit up his face. "The fun-loving side is a hoot to be around. The hard-working side gets stuff done. But this possessive side, the one that is reserved just for me? That makes me feel special. Not as special as the sex maniac, but special enough." A growling barrel-laugh rolled through his chest just before a screeching beep filled the room. "Go." she said. "I'll be here when you get back."

Dean didn't move. His tone was serious. "You should come. You are still a member of the department. The ambulance department could really use your help and the guys really miss you." She shook her head. "It makes sense, Meg."

Cupping her hands around his head she said softly, "I will, in time. This just isn't the time."

"When?" he pushed.

"Ugh. You need to get to the call." she huffed. "Look, I'm just back to town, you and I are like two hours into this relationship, and your best friends don't know about us yet. Once things are a bit more… solid. I promise you, I will be back up there."

Dean dropped a hard kiss on her mouth. "We were 'done' as soon as I laid eyes on you out on the water and I can guarantee the guys knew it. You were the only one who wanted to try and fight it. But we will do this your way." He pushed himself off the bed and began hastily donning his clothes. "I will be back…"

"Right after the call. I know. GO!" Meg watched as he finally took off down the steps. She listened as the door slammed and his truck roared out of the driveway. "Why do I think there will be several guys coming back?" she said to herself. Shaking her head and knowing that they would be all over the house, she stripped the bed and threw the sheets in the washer with her BDU's. With fresh sheets on the bed and running through the shower, Meg put on her ripped jeans and faded t-shirt. Slapping a backwards ball cap on her head, she set the ladder in the living room and went to work stripping paint from the trim.

"I didn't know you were a Kid Rock fan!" Jay hollered from the doorway a couple hours later.

"Feel Like Makin'Love? Is that a hint or somethin'? Do we need to go?" Seth teased.

Dean stood behind his friends, arms crossed, smirking. Meg waved a paint scraper in their direction from her perch on top of the ladder. "Blah, blah blah. You three jabber more than the ol' cronies on the town corner. Are you gonna talk about my music choices or work?"

The men looked around at the room. "If you are willing to turn the music down a few decibels, we'll help."

With a huff and dramatic eye roll, Meg agreed. "It's a small price to pay for hard labor, I guess."

Dean cupped one hip carefully as he swiped her legs out from under her. Holding her in his arms he playfully glared, "Hard labor? Really wanna go there?" His eyebrows waggled as he spun her in a circle.

"Put me down, you goof!" Meg laughed from behind her face mask.

"Can't help it, you make that look _sexy_." He laughed as he set her on her feet. Meg shook her head and laughed at his antics. Dean moved the ladder over a few feet. "Guessing your about ready to work on this grate, hmm?"

"Yep. Next step was to take that down." she agreed. Each of the men donned the protective masks and goggles before getting to work stripping the room of paint and old wall paper. The music played, jokes flew, and laughter roared.

"I thought I'd be working on this room for days. Thanks guys!" Meg said a few hours later.

Seth propped his elbow on Meg's shoulder. "Listen, Meg. You've got to realize that we are your friends and friends help each other. We've got your back, whether it's with this house or at the fire house. Just ask, okay? Or show up, we've got you. Trust us. Damn, woman. Have a little faith. We're not all assholes." He smacked her butt and walked towards the kitchen.

"Hey, man. Friends or not, you don't touch her ass again." Dean growled.

Meg turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, remembering what he'd confided to her earlier. _These guys haven't seen the possessive, jealous side. They've seen the easy-going, jovial guy. I don't want to see the pissed-off, angry Dean._ Tucking one hand into the back pocket of his jeans, she planted the other in the middle of his chest. "Boundary established. All's good."

Jay skirted the couple carefully. "Hey, man. Everybody here knows how ya feel and we're happy for ya both. Meg's a great woman and you're… eh. Just messin' with ya!" he laughed. He clapped his friend on the back. "It was obvious on the boat that you were gonna make a move since she was back and single." He looked between the two of them. "And you are clearly together."

"We are. And we're figuring out what that means." Meg said quietly.

"Didn't mean to snap." Dean apologized. Seth waved him off. "Like she said, we're figuring us out. She said she won't come back to the department until we're more solid and you guys know about us."

Seth smiled. "We've known about you and we've been here all day. That mean you're coming up for the next call, Meg?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. Not quite ready for it."

Dean tapped the hand that still rested on his chest. "She's still up on her EMT certs, all her credentialing is up-to-date, and she doesn't want to ride the trucks. I told her the ambulance department could really use her help but she's not listening to me. Maybe peer pressure?" Meg shook her head again.

"Beer. Bribe her with beer."

"Nah. Come up to the fire house and tell the guys about this house. You'll have all the help you could possibly need. Young guys hanging out in every room."

Dean resembled a bobblehead. "Nope. Nevermind. No need to come up to the fire house. Give yourself time. Lots and lots of time. Space. Yes, space. You need time and space. Let's think about what you want to do with the house, the colors you want and how you want to remodel. No need to rush… We want time together, too. Yes, no need to rush up to the fire house." Jay and Seth gave up covering their mouths and just howled. "Bite me."

"Alright, children." Meg chided. "Clean up and I'll start something for dinner."

Dean pulled her back against his chest. "We'll go out. Pizza, Chinese, seafood… What would you like?" Meg closed her eyes as she prepared to refuse the invitation. Dean tucked his head against her neck and muttered quietly, "You won't go to the fire house, you won't go to dinner, you won't leave this house with me. Are you ashamed? Embarrassed? What is it?"

"Chinese. Let's go." Dean tightened his arms. "What? I chose Chinese. Let's go."

Jay and Seth shook their heads. "You two are something else."

"Two minutes." Dean said. "We'll be out there in two minutes."

Seth nodded knowingly. "We'll bring you take-out. General Tso's? Orange Chicken? Sweet and Sour?" Meg threw her ball cap at him. "Stir-fried rice. Okay!"

Dean turned Meg around in his arms. "M-" Meg put her finger over his lips.

"I am not ashamed to be seen in public with you. If you ever say something like that again so help me I will kick your butt. It might take some doing, but I'll get it done eventually." She kissed his chin. "Dean, you know we are new at this. You know I have issues to overcome in this area. I already told you I want us more solid before we deal with _him_. If they are in the restaurant, I just don't feel like dealing with whatever drama comes about. I just want a nice dinner with you. Well, now you and those two guys. Yes, we'll go out on dates and dinners and to the fire house. I just want solid ground first. Is that wrong?"

Dean tightened his grip on the woman in his arms. "Not wrong, not wrong at all. It sounds so perfect." He kissed her temple. "I just want to…" The pager on the counter shrieked. Hearing the call, Meg gave Dean a little shove out the door. "Finish this later!"

Meg watched Dean jump into the waiting truck and race down the street. She picked up her ball cap, locked her doors, and headed off to get take-out. "I'd like six orders of fried rice, two orders of sweet and sour, two orders of General Tso's, an order of shrimp dim sum, and eight shrimp spring rolls. Yes, I'm waiting."

"Hungry?" Meg turned around to see her ex sitting at a table waiting for his order. Ignoring him, she headed to the furthest table to sit and wait. Unsurprisingly, he came over to join her. "I didn't know you were back in the area."

"It's really none of your business." She took out her phone to look busy and try to help tune him out.

"That's a big order. Having a party?"

"Still not your business."

"Back in town?" She didn't answer. "You know I'll find out." Silence. "There's no need to be bitchy."

"Walk away." she said quietly. "We aren't friends. There's no need to associate any more. Just go away."

His order number was called. He slammed back his chair, calling her an obscene name again, and stomped up to get his order. Meg looked down at her phone with her hands shaking. _This is what I was afraid of. It could have been worse. If Dean or the other guys were here, they would have stood up to him and this would have escalated._ She closed her eyes and hoped the tears would fade. _Why do I let him affect me so much? He's the one with the problem._ Finally her number was called. Meg rose and walked to the counter with her head held high. She looked at the assortment of bags and tried to figure out how she would carry all of the food to her truck. "Need some help?" Meg turned to see Roman, another member of the fire department and friend of Dean's standing there with his hands out. Before Meg could open her mouth, Roman snagged a couple of bags and motioned towards the door. "Lead the way."

"Thanks." she said softly.

Once at her truck, Roman set the food inside and faced Meg somberly. "He's an ass. Don't let him chase you away." Meg's mouth hung open. "You might be surprised if you gave people a chance, Meg. Not everyone thinks that jackass walks on water. You probably have more support than you think." He shut the door and headed back into the restaurant.

"Hey, Roman!" Meg called. "I've got some friends coming over for dinner tonight. Would you like to join us?"

"My order'll be up in a minute." he replied. "Be right behind you."

* * *

So, that answers one question that several of you have asked. No, the ex did not know Meg was around.  
Yes, Roman, Seth, and Dean are friends in this story. No, there won't be any wrestling involved. 


	6. Are We Done?

Forty-five minutes later, Dean, Jay, and Seth walked back into Meg's house to find bowls of Chinese food gracing the counters. Roman and Meg were sitting at the table with a deck of cards. "How many times do I have to tell you, a full house does not beat a straight flush? Come on, Roman!" Meg was laughing as she handed the man his cards back, apparently not for the first time.

"I think you are making up these rules, Meg. There's no way you remember them all." he laughed.

"Look them up! General poker rules, not even Texas-hold 'em." She chuckled.

"You mean it gets more complicated?"

"Sounds like you two are having fun." Dean greeted. Seth's eyes grew wide, remembering Dean's earlier rant.

Roman smiled at the group coming into the house. "Hey, guys! Sorry I missed the call. Was it a 'good one'?"

"Dinner's ready." Meg said, interrupting the guys conversation as she put her cards face-down on the table. "I'll get some plates." Dean raised an eyebrow at her quiet avoidance of him. She didn't meet his eyes or speak directly to him.

Roman caught his eye and shook his head. Seth grabbed the cards and said, "If you are so awful at poker, maybe I should try a hand."

The guys ribbed each other as they listened to Meg getting the plates. "When I bumped into Meg at the restaurant, Chris trying to get under her skin." Roman realized his mistake in mentioning Meg's ex when Dean's face flushed bright red. "She handled herself just fine. She ignored him and didn't give him the attention he wanted. He didn't get the rise that he expected." He tried to calm the other man down to no avail.

"I'm fine. Roman helped me carry the food. And Chris didn't upset me as much as I expected he would." She had a stack of plates in her hand. "It was bound to happen." Meg spoke softly, assuring the infuriated man.

"He needs to leave you alone." Seth backed up both of his friends.

"The ass is going to leave you alone. He's got no choice." Dean swore.

Roman glanced between Dean and Meg. "If he's smart, he'll back off. Boy's gonna get hurt if he keeps it up."

"You know I'm not afraid to dance." Dean said. The sound the guys made really wasn't a laugh. It was more of a 'we know someone's gonna get whooped and we're looking forward to it' sound.

 _This is exactly what I was afraid of._ Meg set the plates on the kitchen counter. "There's plenty of food. Hope ya'll are hungry." She began rummaging through for silverware and glasses, making herself busy while the guys continued their conversation.

Roman came up behind her and said quietly, "You know I had to tell him. This couldn't be a secret." Meg nodded. "Then why are you upset?"

"I just want peace and calm for a while. I want us to be settled, solid, before that jackass causes more drama. Yet it seems like it is starting already." Meg shrugged her shoulders, keeping her back to the room so no one could see her face. She whispered, "I don't know what Chris has said about me and I don't want to know. I just… never mind. Just… never mind." She slipped out the back door before anyone could stop her.

"Dean! Dude! Your woman just left!" Meg could hear Roman yelling to the other room as she took off.

* * *

The waterfront was always calming. Sitting on one of the benches on the dock, looking out over the marsh grass, Meg searched for peace. Bullfrogs croaked. Herons flew in to catch fish and flew away. Crickets chirped. A gentle breeze blew across her face. The sun was turning the sky lovely shades of orange and pink on the other side of the trees. Waves lapped against the pilings. Meg folded her hands in her lap and took in the serene setting. _Peace… Just be… Peace… It will be okay… Calm… Peace…_

* * *

"Where else could she be?"

"Are you sure she didn't double back and come inside?"

"Her truck is still here."

"She's not in the house or garage. We would have found her."

"Dammit! She has to know we're worried!"

"Why the hell would she take off like that?"

"What was she thinking?"

"Who knows how a woman's mind works?"

"Come on guys. This is Meg we're talking about. Be respectful of Dean." Roman muttered.

"He's just as frantic as the rest of us!"

"SHIT!" Dean dropped onto a chair with his head in his hands, ignoring his friends.

"What do we do now?"

"We can't leave."

"That's exactly what you do. You guys go home. She'll come back when she's ready. This is between she and I anyway." Dean sighed.

Roman sat beside him, patting his shoulder. "We were all here. We're all her friends, your friends. She left all of us. If we upset her, she needs to tell us. Running away isn't the way to deal with any of it. It wasn't before and it still isn't. You can tell her and so can we. Meg has to realize that we all have her back. Dude, it isn't Meg against the world. It isn't the two of you against him, either."

"And if the two of you are going to stand a chance, she's got to stick around." Jay said.

Dean looked at his friends. "That's what I'm going to tell her. I'm here for her. I'll fight for her, for us. But she's got to… yeah. Anyway, ya'll go on. I'll pass the message along. Thanks for helping look for her. And helping with the house." He watched the guys leave. Then he waited. The sun set. He waited. It was dark. He still waited. Three and a half hours after Meg fled the house, she returned. The door creaked open and she stepped inside the dark house. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it silently. "They left." She didn't move. "We looked for you." She didn't answer. "You weren't here, the fire house, the park, walking any of the streets in town…" He leaned forward in his chair. "We searched, Meg. We couldn't find you. Do you have any idea?"

"I'm sorry." she whispered.

He snorted. "You're sorry. You're SORRY?" Dean stood up. "You ran out of your own house without a word and didn't return for hours leaving the people who care about you in a panic and all you can say is you are SORRY?!" She could hear him approach. He stopped just short of touching her. "Meg, I care so much for you. So damn much." The hurt and torment in his voice was obvious. "Not knowing where you were, if you were okay, what was going on, it tore me up. I would have done anything for you, Meg. I would have held you if you needed comforting. I would have beaten the hell out of anyone that caused you pain. I would have listened to you if you needed to talk through something. But to have you shut me out...that I can't handle. You told me we would have open communication and you walked away. You broke your promise." Meg reached out her hands to grab hold of his but he pushed hers away. "No, you wanted time to yourself. Take the night and think. I'm ready to go all-in. The good, the bad, the ugly. You need to decide if you want that, Meg. Because I can't do silence and running away. Neither can our friends. We aren't going to chase you and play these games. Grow up and fight for us or walk away." He moved her to the side and opened the door.

"Dean?" He paused on the back step. "I was at the waterfront, sitting on the dock. That's my 'spot'. Where I go to find peace. I don't have one here, yet. I'm sorry. It was wrong and insensitive of me. I don't want to lose you."

He spoke over his shoulder but didn't turn to face her. "You won't lose me. I think that tonight we just need…"

She grabbed his shoulder. "Please."

He stepped away. "If you look for peace someplace without me, what does that say, Meg?" he asked quietly. "We'll talk tomorrow. No, this isn't goodbye. It's goodnight."

* * *

So now you know who the ex is. Mystery solved. I doubt anyone was expecting CJ...

But Dean and Meg have hit a bump in the road and he's left her to contemplate what's gone on. Life can't be all sunshine and roses, can it?


	7. Love Hurts

Tissue warning...

* * *

Dean had left hours ago. The Chinese food that no one had eaten was in the trash. The dishes had been washed. The counters had been scrubbed. Meg had looked at her bed and tears slid from her eyes. The night before she'd shared that space with a wonderful man. _Tonight I have no idea where he is because I chased him away. I ran. I shut him out. My fears pushed him away. This is on me. I don't know how to fix this._ She backed against the wall and sank to the floor in tears. _What do I do?_ Huge sobs wracked her body. She curled her head to her knees and wailed. "DEAN! I AM SO SORRY!" She hiccuped and coughed and she lost her breath. "Why does this hurt as much as losing _him_?" Hitting her head against the wall, Meg groaned. "Because **_I_** walked away. **_I_** hurt him and messed this up. It's on **_me_** this time. All day he asked me to stand up for us and **_I_** pushed him away. Then I finally ran away. It's all on **_me_**." Pushing herself up the wall, she took a deep breath. "I owe him." She scoured the house for paper and a pencil. Finally finding a notebook, she sat at the dining room table and wrote. When she was finished, she laid on the floor and fell asleep.

Dean knew he should just head straight to work. If he stopped at Meg's house, he'd be late. That was a no-brainer. He hadn't gotten much sleep after leaving her the way he had but he knew he'd been right. They needed space. They both needed to think things through. If they didn't get things ironed out now, this relationship was headed for disaster. Parking in front of the garage, he closed his door quietly. He hoped that she would be sleeping this early in the morning. Maybe he could sneak in, see that she was sleeping and ease his mind, and be on his way. That way he could focus at work… at least that's what he told himself as he eased the door open. ' _We are going to talk about leaving her doors unlocked._ ' he told himself as he tiptoed through the kitchen. Sitting on the dining room table was a notebook. Curiosity being what it was, he picked it up to see what she'd written.

Dear Dean,  
I have no idea how to start except to say I am sorry. But sorry isn't enough. It doesn't cover what  
I want to say. What do I say when there aren't words?  
I hurt you and caused you pain. I don't know how to fix it. You have given so much and asked for so  
little in return in such a short amount of time. Where do I start? There is so much I want to say and I am afraid I won't have the chance to tell you.  
Start at the beginning.  
Well, at the beginning of us.  
I took the boat out to prove to myself that I could do it. That I was able to be independent. I'd been working in this  
house and at work, I wanted a day on the water. I told you last night that the water gives me peace. If I could manage the  
boat and fish on my own it would prove something to me. It wasn't too long before the monster fish hit and  
then I saw Seth's boat headed straight for me. Yes, I recognized you guys right away. I was dreading seeing you all  
because, well, you know. But then you were on my boat. You were there with your arms wrapped around me  
and talking into my ear. Do you remember that? Within seconds of seeing each other you had me trapped between the  
steering wheel and your body. My mind was racing. Then you said you weren't helping the ex-wife of a former friend. You were  
helping an old friend who was "a damn fine looking woman". Then you said that Chris might have been blind but you  
weren't stupid. I was so confused. I'd come out there to assert my independence and you were getting me flustered. You  
knew it. Then the sunscreen. Oh. My. You called it pampering and taking care of a friend. I was ready to explode. I could  
feel you, your… excitement. I was comparing the two of you even then. You overshadowed him in every way; the care  
and concern you showed for me, the way you leapt from boat to boat, the way you read my emotions… Any way that  
I compared the two of you, you won. That was within hours of seeing you again. You were shaking my core, Dean. I didn't  
want a new man in my life and here was someone that I'd known previously who was storming in and demanding a place. Literally.  
You brought me back to my house and were the perfect gentleman. The time apart while at work had me thinking  
about the time on the water and what dating you would be like. Coming home was even better than fantasy. I still had  
questions, things that we need to talk about, but I'd had a taste. Sleeping in your arms, not just on the same  
mattress but in your arms. It was magical. And the wake-up call… That's something a woman could get used to getting – or giving.  
Working together in the house was a true definition of teamwork. Here's the thing, as I write this I realize that I needed  
to extend that teamwork outside of the house.  
You asked when I was going to go back to the fire house. I said I wanted us to be more solid. In order to be 'solid',  
we need to exist outside of this house. That is on me. I am going to change. I am going to stand proudly  
beside you as your woman. Well, as your woman if you'll still have me. I will be at the fire house for meetings  
beside you. I will be on calls with you. You will cut the cars open and I will collar and treat the patients. We will be a  
team. We will go to restaurants together. We will boat and fish together. I have no idea how to hunt so I will take a  
hunter's safety course so you can take me hunting. We can get a dog together. I promise, Dean, I won't walk away again.  
Life is full of ups and downs.  
This won't be the only disagreement we have. I promise that we will handle whatever comes at us together. You said it before,  
we've been friends for years. We've just altered our friendship into something more.  
I promise, Dean.  
I promise I will fight for us.

Dean sat the notebook back on the table and closed his eyes. He thought to himself, 'She knows how to hit the heart, doesn't she?' A sound drew his attention. Looking to the side, he could make out Meg's form lying on the couch. "Silly woman." he muttered. A few short steps had him at her side, scooping her up and carrying her up to the bedroom. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She blinked up at him sleepily. "Shh. You need to sleep, babe. We are fine. I promise you, we are fine." A small smile crossed her face as she closed her eyes. "That's it. Go back to sleep. I will see you tonight."

"Stay." she whispered.

"I have to go to work today. I will be back tonight." he whispered before kissing her again. From the doorway he whispered something else, but Meg couldn't hear what it was.

Dean took her letter and locked the door on his way out.

* * *

A couple of good questions have been asked:

Meg is a professional EMT. She is employed by a state/county and answers 911 calls for help but has no interest in becoming a professional fire fighter. She is happy riding on the ambulance and providing medical care. For those in this service, they will understand that some professionals begin on the ambulance and progress on to the engine and ladder trucks. There is a progression from less busy stations to more busy stations. Meg enjoys her location and her job. Having a name for this area is immaterial to the story.

The fire department that Dean, Seth, Roman, etc. reference and which they want Meg to return to is a volunteer department that is in the town that they all live in. Yes, Chris is a part of this department as well.


	8. Worst Timing

_A/N \- Quick point of clarification - Meg is a paid EMT in a department that is not near her home town. We find out in this chapter that Dean works in construction. Both of them volunteer (or are members of) the local fire department in their town. This isn't meant to be confusing for the reader, it is how life is for many people who live the life._

* * *

It was afternoon before Meg rolled over, stretching and wiping the crust from her eyes. "How did I get up here?" Sitting up and looking around the room, she knew she hadn't fallen asleep in bed. She'd wanted to avoid the room because she and Dean had such glorious memories here, she didn't want to spend the night alone with things so unsettled between them. Something tickled at the edge of her mind, not quite coming back to her yet. She pulled her knees to her chest for a moment. "It will all work out. It has to." she sighed. Pulling herself out of bed, she wandered downstairs. The first thing she noticed was the chair pulled away from the dining room table. The next thing she noticed was the nearly empty notebook. Where she had filled pages with a letter to Dean, now there were only two lines.

We are on the right track. Talk tonight. Miss you.  
Dean

"He was here. He carried me to bed and told me that we were fine. He promised that…" She choked herself up as she remembered. "I can't believe that he is almost a decade younger than I am. Not that it makes a difference because he is so with it." She sat at the table and held his brief note. "Short and to the point. I like it." Her fingers ran over the paper as she smiled. "You realize you're talking to yourself, right? Eh, who cares. Alrighty then… You need to get ready. Shower and get dressed so you can take your man out to dinner. You promised him that you'd be seen in public together. There's no time like the present." While she was talking to herself, her phone rang. "No. No, I can't. Are you serious? Argh! Yeah, I know. It's like the worst timing. Yeah, yeah. I'll be there. Okay." Meg smacked her head with her palm and dialed Dean's number. "Hi. Look, I know you aren't going to believe this and I am so sorry, but I just got called in to work early. I didn't want to leave you a voice-mail but it is what it is. I swear I tried to get out of it, but I won't be home for at least 36 hours. Really, I am so sorry. I swear I am not running." She hung up and headed for the shower.

It didn't take Meg long to get ready and check the house before she was ready to go. Her gear bag was secured. Her extra BDU's were stowed in the truck. The house was locked. She left Dean another message apologizing for not being home and then she backed out of the garage.

Arriving at the station 45 minutes later, Meg's unhappiness was apparent. "Aw, what's wrong with Meggie-poo? Man troubles?"

She slung her bag towards her locker. "I'm here instead of with my man. What do you think?" she grumbled. "He's certainly not happy. That makes me not happy."

"Poor…"

"There are times when smart people back off." Meg snarled. The room got quiet and everyone left her alone. Meg tried calling Dean again. Still no answer. _I thought he wasn't retaliating?_ Tones dropped. "MVC with entrapment…" Meg took off for the ambulance. It was the first call of multiple that kept her running for the next ten and a half hours. When she finally crawled into her cot at quarter after three in the morning, she didn't think to check her messages.

* * *

Dean reread Meg's note throughout the day. He kept getting stuck on certain parts, doodling them on an order form that he had in his truck. 'Water gives me peace.' 'Doesn't have a spot at home…yet.' 'Meg needs a spot.' 'Our spot.' His doodles transformed from words to art. If Meg loved water and found water peaceful, she wouldn't have to go to the waterfront to find peace. He would create their spot at the house with water and flowers and a bench in the most serene way possible. It would be theirs. He started drawing on the order form, so focused he lost track of time.

Pulling his truck away from the construction site and heading back to the lot, his phone rang with missed messages. Listening to them, Dean cursed. Using his Bluetooth, he called Meg only to get her voicemail. "No harm, hon. This happens with your line of work. We are good. No worries. We have a date when you get home. Promise." When he disconnected, he called his friends. "Guys, I need your help. Meet me at Meg's. All's good. I'll explain when we are there."

Forty-five minutes later, Dean drove into Meg's backyard with his construction equipment. His surprised friends looked at him with wide eyes. "Care to explain?"

"Short version. You guys left. Meg finally came home. We didn't exactly talk things out."

"Where was she?"

"The waterfront. She said she finds the water peaceful. That's her 'spot'." Dean shared.

"Not the safest place for a woman to sit by herself."

"Agreed."

"Can I finish? Anyway, I told her we both needed some space and left." All of the other guys made sounds of dislike. "Not your call. At any rate, I came to check on her before I went to work this morning and she'd written me this long, long letter. No, you can't read it. All you need to know is she and I are good – golden in fact. We are so good that we need a 'spot'. Well, we need one and she needs one. A place where she can go when she needs to find that peace she was looking for last night. I'm thinking" he pulled out the sketch he'd made on the order form "if we do something like this here then she's got a place to sit and there's water, plants, animals, and all that peaceful crap."

"Peaceful crap. Love it!" Jay laughed.

"Is this a fish pond?"

"Are you thinking natural plant life?"

"You want to build a gazebo?"

"How fast is this happening?"

"She got called in to work tonight and tomorrow. I'd like it done before she gets home Friday morning." Dean said. "I want to surprise her."

"You are going to surprise her by tearing apart her yard? Not wise, man."

"Well, that's one way to look at it." he admitted.

Seth said sagely, "As the guy in this group with a woman, I'd suggest floating the idea past her first. See what she thinks about it, even though you've ripped up the yard with your equipment."

"I'll be here tomorrow."

"So will I."

"Count me in. I was off anyway." Seth said. "And I think Renee will come, too."

Dean rubbed his hands together. "Great. Great. I'll call her now. Then I'm going to get started."

"Has he ever built a fish pond before?" Jay asked.

"Are you going to be the one to stop him? He's going at this full-boar." Roman replied with a head shake. "He thinks this will make Meg happy. Nothing is going to stop him."

"Isn't young love so grand?" Jay laughed.

"It'll bite you in the ass when you least expect it." Seth muttered. "And then Dean and I will be the ones sitting back and laughing. Just you wait. Just you wait." Roman made a zipped-lips motion. "Smart man. It'll get you, too. You just never know when."

Dean came back to his friends. "She must be really busy. I got her voice-mail again." He glared at his phone before shoving it into his pocket. "There'll be shifts like this. At any rate, she left me messages, I left her messages, we both tried. That's what's important." With a nod of his head, he went to move the front-end loader.

"Are you sure you know where you want to dig?!" One of the guys yelled after him.

* * *

Meg knew that Thursday night was meeting night at the fire house. She was finally back at the station after another call, so she sent Dean a message.

'Missed talking w/U. Looking 4ward 2 Cing U 2morrow. Hope the meeting is uneventful.'

It wasn't long before she got an unexpected reply.

'The guys R helping me w/a project. Missing meeting. Will C U in the morning. Really hoping U like it.'

Meg read the message. _Dean, Jay, Seth, and Roman are_ _all_ _missing a meeting to work on a project? It must be important. Dean's got something big up his sleeve to get them to help and miss a meeting. And it sound like he's nervous…_ She replied:

'I know it must be special and will be amazing. I am looking forward to it.' 'Looking 4ward to Cing U.'

His reply came back fast. So did the next call, a heart attack in a restaurant. Meg was on the road again.


	9. All Hell Breaks Loose

Finally, her shift was over. Her duffle was stowed in the back and her gear bag was tossed in the passenger seat. "See ya!"

"You seem so much happier, Maggie May." her partner teased.

"Phfffht!" She stuck her tongue out as she climbed in the driver's seat and slammed the door, shutting out the laughter. One quick message later, and she was on her way.

Leaving work now. See you soon.  
Meg

Meg was cruising, singing along with Thomas Rhett's T-shirt song "…lean in for one more kiss, and pretty soon you're sliding off what you've got on and slipping into my T-shirt right there; Your hair messed up like a Guns-N-Roses video; Ooh Ooh So Hot; Still got it up in my head you were moving around in the TV light; I ain't ever seen anything like your dress, my floor, the way you wore…" She was less than 10 miles from home when she saw the smoke and skid marks. She turned off the radio and slowed her speed, eyes scanning the road ahead. Meg pulled her phone out of the pocket of her gear bag and dialed 911. "My name is Meg. I am a professional EMT and I am pulling up on the scene of an MVC with multiple vehicles on the highway." She gave the dispatcher the specific location as she attached her phone to her BDU's. With her truck parked, she snatched her gear bag and began assessing patients. "The first car; white; two patients; initial assessment is non-life threatening. Second car has front and rear end damage; will require extrication; three occupants, one visible head trauma in the rear, front passenger cannot be ascertained at this time, driver is DOA. I am approaching a third vehicle with front and rear end damage that will require extrication. There is a fourth vehicle, a sports car, which is off the road way into a tree. At this time, I will cease phone communications."

"We have multiple fire and EMS units en-route to your location. Two medivac choppers are also en-bound and the Trauma Center is on stand-by." the dispatcher relayed. Meg thanked her and secured her phone in a side pocket of her pants. Then she looked at the third car that she needed to check.

Pulling on her rubber gloves, she popped the window and checked the driver's pulse. "Just stay calm. We're going to get you out momentarily." The man gave her a thumb's up. Meg pulled off her gloves and headed for the car that was smashed into the tree. As she crossed the ditch she heard the scream of the sirens approach. _That would be our company. It's our first-due area._ She stepped carefully over the skid marks and reached the bottom of the crumpled driver's side door. Pulling on another pair of gloves she called out, "Can you hear me? Don't move around, just say your name." There wasn't any answer. Meg put her arms through her bag straps. "Did you hit your head?" She tried to look in the side window but the cracking prevented her from seeing much except the driver was slumped over and the airbag had deployed.

"What do you need?" Meg recognized the voice calling from the street.

Turning to answer, she shouted, "Hurst and man power! Can't make an assessment on this one yet!"

Chris took a step in her direction, only to be passed by Dean who was already carrying the Hurst tool. Jay and Seth were following behind him. Roman stopped beside Meg's ex-husband. "Making a scene here would be really bad for you. Meg's in her element. She's first on the scene and been making assessments. You act like an ass here and you'll get written up." He carried a backboard to the sports car, watching as Meg disappeared in the passenger side of the mangled wreck. While Dean and Jay wrenched the door from the car, Meg kept the injured patient immobile. He was collared and backboarded inside the car before being cut free and removed and strapped to the stretcher. Meg discarded her gloves, pulled on a fresh pair and headed for the other cars.

"You don't want to fly with him?" a paramedic on the medivac asked.

"Nah, you've got him." Meg said. "I'm more useful here." The medic looked at the scene and nodded. Taking her gear with her, Meg headed back to the car she knew had the worst injuries. Dean was by her side. "There's at least one DOA. Front passenger compartment was crumpled and the rear passenger had head trauma. I want to check that car." Chris tried to approach again but was thwarted by another member of the department. When Meg reached her destination, fire fighters were attempting to dismantle the car with Jaws of Life. "Has anyone assessed the patients?" she asked.

"No one could fit inside."

Dean said, "Let Meg try."

"Why? She's…" Chris argued before getting yanked away.

Meg carefully climbed inside. "I need a collar, gauze…" She went to work on the patient in the back. Once she was semi-stabilized, the rear of the car was cut apart and she was removed. Meg carefully maneuvered and wiggled around, suggesting ways to cut and peel on the car to open up the passenger compartment to allow her access. "I can see inside. I just need another six inches to reach… Perfect. Weak, thready pulse. Let's try cutting here and here. Great guys. I want to slide in through here." Meg slid her torso into the constricted compartment, beginning her treatment of the severely injured patient. "I need a something to use as a tourniquet! This leg has to be stabilized before you can work on the door!" she called out.

"Here's more gauze."

"I found some foam. Can she use that as padding against the door?" Meg heard someone suggest.

"Give it to me. I'll make it work." She stuck her hand back through the small opening and pulled both items through. She packed the foam around the patient's head very carefully and then stuffed the rest along her back and leg. "Easy does it, guys. Slow and steady." While the metal groaned and creaked, Meg kept steady pressure on the ever-bleeding wounds that were evident in the patient's leg and side. "I see light. Keep it coming!" She called. The patient moaned. "Don't move, hon. We are going to get you out of here. It's just taking a little time. I know it hurts, you aren't alone. Keep focusing on my voice. I am right here beside you. My name is Meg. If you want to say something, tell me your name." The patient only moaned. "That's okay, I know you are in pain." The glass in the door shattered. The patient screamed. The men outside froze. "It's okay, they are just cutting the car away so we can get you out. Loud noises are a part of the process. There will be a few more. No need to worry, hon. Keep going, guys. Work on the roof. It's a little close in here." Not wasting any time, they immediately began cutting on that sheet of metal. Meg felt another piece of foam slide against her back. She bit back a smile, knowing exactly who put it there. _Dean's getting anxious. He thought he could take it but seeing me in here is driving that protective streak nuts. I guess I didn't think this through completely, either. My back is rather exposed... That man is one in a million. _The roof came off like the top off a can of soup. "The door post needs to be cut away very, very carefully. Don't touch the leg." With more people able to keep the patient immobile, the doorpost was removed and a stretcher was beside the car within seconds. The second medivac was waiting for the patient to be extricated with orders to get them to the Trauma Center immediately.

Dean was beside Meg as she immobilized multiple compound fractures of the leg with gauze and foam splints. "You are flying with this one?"

"Yes."

"Keys."

"Front right pocket."

While she worked, he reached into her pocket and retrieved her keys. "The medivac should bring you back, at least close. Call and I'll pick you up." He patted her hip and walked away. This was the life of an EMT/fire fighter. Meg looked at the face of her patient. This older gentleman was scared and needed someone to hold on to. She'd been that person in the wreckage. She would be that person in the helicopter. She would be that person right up to the Trauma Center doors. She would not be the person to tell him that someone he loved had died and that someone else was fighting for their life. She would not be the person to tell him that his chances weren't good. She was just going to give him everything she had.

"Leg secure." Meg announced. She moved up to the man's head to check his oxygen intake and vitals.

"Arm secure." the paramedic echoed. "Let's board."

Meg stayed at the head of the stretcher, getting on board just ahead of the patient. She turned to see Dean watching the helicopter with her gear bag in hand. _Damn, he looks hot. Full turn-out gear and my bag… He was right. We make a great team._ She pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture. Then she returned to the business at hand; treating the patient.


	10. Lies Always Come Out

"What went on back there? Why was Meg working an accident scene?" Chris exploded as he slammed the door of the fire engine.

Dean rounded the back of the truck, dropping his gear. "Meg was on her way home from work. She did what she's trained to do. Personally, I'm damn proud of her. She's good at what she does. Not just good, damn good."

The chief agreed. "You can say that again. It's a shame she isn't running with us anymore. Anyone know why she stopped? The real story?"

Chris thundered, "I told you all, she decided…"

Dean stood toe-to-toe with the other man. "So help me, if you spread that shit about her any more I will drop you where you stand. You know the truth and so do I." Chris glared at the other man. "Meg's coming back and you are going to stay away from her. You have your little side dish. Meg's mine. Leave her alone."

The chief held up his hands. "Hold up. Leave the personal shit at the door."

Dean glared at Chris. "Too late. Thanks to this douche, Meg's been gone for way too long. It's already personal. The shit he's spewing about her is way off base and complete lies. She doesn't deserve what he's put her through and I'm not going to stand for it anymore." Chris's mouth opened. "Not a word. I know, Chris. Get that? **_I know_** **.** The girlfriend, the baby, the lies, how you used this department as an excuse to cheat on your wife; yeah, **_I know_**."

The chief moved to stand behind Dean. "He what?"

Jay and Seth stood on the other side of Chris. Jay retold Meg's story. "He would tell her he needed to be here for a meeting or something before work. Then he'd go to his girlfriend's house. That's why she disappeared. She was sure we were covering for him."

Seth agreed. "And none of us told her any different since we didn't know…"

Seth's girlfriend Renee rounded the corner and shouted, "You mean to tell me that woman thought we were covering for HIS CHEATING ASS?!" as the chief shouted, "We lost a damn fine member because of this shit?!" The rest of the members gathered around silently.

"How the hell do any of you know about my life?" Chris argued. "Because _Meg_ says so? Because _you_ are scre…" Dean drew back his fist. The chief caught his arm and pulled him away.

Jay got between the men, putting his palm flat against Chris's chest. "You really are a bastard, you know that?" He checked over his shoulder to make sure Dean was held back by several members before turning his full attention to Chris. "Yeah, we heard all about you from Meg. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that what she said is true, or more true than the crap you've been spreading. All we have to do is look at when she disappeared and when your first little side-dish tramp showed up. That didn't take very long, did it? As if she were already in your life, and then the next one rolled in, like they were exchangeable parts to be toyed around with. For someone that claimed to be torn up over the loss of the love of his life, you weren't very distraught." He thumbed over his shoulder. "That dude is more torn up over Meg putting herself in danger today than you were over your wife leaving. That says a lot, asshole. And let me tell you something else, those two aren't screwing around." Jay stepped inches away from Chris's face. "You don't go near them. They are untouchable." Chris snorted.

Roman appeared over Jay's shoulder. "I told Meg that you didn't walk on water. You may think you do but you don't. The carefully constructed lies you've spread about her are collapsing around you. And those of us who never believed them in the first place are so happy to watch it happen. Meg deserves to be happy and to come home. She deserves to be back here where she belongs. You should be the one out in the cold, dealing with your tramps and little babies that you are leaving all over the place. That's on you." Roman leaned on Jay's shoulder as he got in Chris's face. "I saw you in the Chinese restaurant. No one else here did. Damn shame I wasn't there in time to stop you from ranting, but I heard enough. Meg knew that night that I had her back. She knew that if I was around she wouldn't have to deal with you alone."

Renee tapped her foot. "What happened at the Chinese restaurant?"

"All I did was…" Chris began.

Roman cut him off. "He cursed at her and made what I'd call a veiled threat. He said things like 'Are you back in town?' and 'You know I can find out?' Meg told him that they weren't friends and that she didn't want to be around him. She was very calm and didn't let him see that she was rattled, 'cause I know she had to be. Someone acting like that in my face would have rattled me."

Dean's hands balled into fists again. He muttered, "Dammit. I knew she played it down. Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

"So what now? Ya'll gonna take her side? Toss me out of the company after all the years I've given here?" Chris snarled.

The chief patted Dean's shoulder. "You need to walk away." he muttered. Dean cut his eyes and stomped to the other side of the bay to remove his turn-out gear. The chief leveled his pissed-off gaze on Chris. "You know the by-laws of the company, Chris. We can't just toss you out on your ass. As the chief, I can suspend your riding privileges for 10 days and I am doing that on the basis that you were a danger to other members on the scene today. Your personal issues affected your judgment and that cannot happen. You asked a question as soon as we arrived and Meg answered you. It didn't matter your personal history, she was working for the benefit of the injured. Likewise the other members of this department worked as a team. You questioned multiple decisions and personnel. You had to be warned not to cause a scene while we were there. For that reason, you are not to be here at the station and you are not to run calls. This decision will be reviewed by the Board."

Chris slammed his helmet on the floor. "You want me out! I knew it!"

"Eh, there's the door." The chief shrugged. "At this point, you are a loose cannon liability that we don't need. And trust me, we will be sure to let the neighboring companies know what you've been up to."

Seth smiled evilly. "Lies always come back to bite ya in the ass, Chris. See ya!"


	11. Returning to Town

Meg was fighting exhaustion as she waved to the medivac hours later. The pilot and paramedic had been able to return her to a field just outside of town. She pulled her phone from her pocket and looked at the picture she'd snapped as she'd taken off. _What drama have I missed?_ Wind from the helicopter whipped her hair as it flew away. Closing her eyes to both block out the dust and to pray for strength, Meg started walking towards town. _I'm either going to find one of them dead and the other in jail or the fight still raging. There's no way they can peacefully co-exist. This just isn't going to…_ She rubbed the heel of her hand across her eyes and drew a deep breath. Her feet were on the sidewalk leading in to town. There was no turning back. She lifted her chin and walked onwards, head held high. _So far no screams or shouts. That's a good thing._ She glanced down a side street but didn't see any of the local fire fighters' cars or trucks home. As she approached the fire house she concentrated on keeping her gate even. _The doors are shut. It doesn't look like anyone is there. That's odd. On a Friday at… Well, it is only three. I guess they went back to work. I would have thought that some would have knocked off for the day after that call, though. Or that the crisis team would have been called in. Hmm. That is odd._ She kept walking through the center of town, making the bend so she could see her house. Meg stopped mid-stride. Her front yard was covered with cars and trucks of every make and model. A few stuttered steps further allowed her to see that the exterior of her house was currently receiving a sand-blasting that she had been unable to do herself. The shudders that she had been afraid to climb up and remove were leaning against trees, already free from the paint that she knew contained lead. _How… Who… Dean. Dean._ Her heart began to pound. She realized it wasn't her heart, it was her feet as she was running down the street. Someone was yelling for Dean. It wasn't her. "Dean! Dean! Meg's here!"

"Where? She was supposed to call!" She heard him shout from the back yard. He rounded the corner of the house as she ran up the drive. "You were supposed to call umph!" She jumped up, wrapping her arms and legs around him, nearly knocking him over. Dean wrapped one arm under her butt and the other around her shoulders, clutching her tightly. "Not upset?" he asked quietly.

"You are amazing." she whispered.

"Told you they missed you." he said with a chuckle.

She kissed his neck. "Why do I think there's more to the story?" He clamped his lips shut. "Exactly." She kissed his chin. "I don't see any marks. That's a good thing, I guess."

Dean patted her butt as he whispered in her ear, " ** _I_** wouldn't be the one with marks, sweetie. And that wouldn't happen at the fire house. I can promise you that." Meg unwrapped her legs and stood in front of him. "You are mine, Meg. And I will protect what's mine."

Meg slid her hands down to rest above Dean's heart. "Just don't go looking for a fight. I'm liking my possessive, protective young stud hale and hearty." Dean's eyes widened before they tightened to pinpoints.

"You are evil." he growled. She laughed as she tapped his chest.

Seth shouted from the back yard, "All good over there?"

Dean shouted back, "Just freakin' peachy!"

Jay grumbled, "What's wrong with him now?"

The chief laughed loudly. "My guess? A yard full of the entire company. Dumbass didn't think this through!" The whispers, innuendoes and raucous laughter filled the air.

"Ya'll ain't funny." Dean grumbled.

Meg ruffled his hair. "They're freakin' hilarious." she corrected before walking into her house.

Dean stared after her. "You really are stuck on her, aren't you?"

He looked the chief in the eye before answering him very seriously. "I knew she was special before but she was Chris's wife. He may not have taken those vows to heart but she did. And I would never mess with another man's woman. That's not me. I felt privileged to call both of them my friends. Knowing what I know now I hurt for her, for the pain she felt thinking that we, I betrayed her in some way. I also know that I am fortunate to get the opportunity to have her in my life again and I'm going to relish every minute I have with her." He nodded and continued. "Meg is mine. We're going to come up to the station together, go out to dinner together and be seen around town together. I'm going to help her finish this house. When she looks around, I want her to think of me, not him."

The older man clapped his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Making a good start, son. You're showing her with some pretty big actions. Don't forget the words, too." Dean nodded again.


	12. Girl Talk

Meg drug her feet through the house. "I'm amazed they didn't get in here." she muttered.

"Dean didn't let them in." Meg clutched her chest as she spun around to face Renee. "Once the rat-bastard left the station, Seth and Roman started yammering about how they were supposed to help with this big surprise that Dean had up his sleeve for you. Jay chimed in with the renovations you'd been making and that they'd been over here helping you and then the rest of the guys were all over this. Dean was bombarded and took charge. He told them all that no one was to touch the inside of your house but he was concerned that you were going to try the outside on your own. He said asked if anyone had any ideas for stripping the exterior of a clapboard house and the guys were on it like flies on shit. They ran for their trucks and raced over here like a reverse call." Meg dropped onto a dining room chair. _I think this is the same one Dean sat in when he was here so Wednesday night. How long ago was that?_ She propped her head in one hand. Renee pulled out a chair and sat beside her. "You look exhausted."

Meg looked at the woman she used to be friends with. "The last two days have been so awful. And this whole week has been… unexpected." She sat back in the chair and chose her next words carefully. "I wish… I miss… I guess it would have been nice to have a friend to talk through some of this with. I miss having that."

Renee reached over and took her hand. "I understand why you felt like you were alone. I really do. From here on out you need to know that you aren't and won't be. You've got friends and lots of them. Dean has his friends, this is true. You have friends too. All you have to do is reach out."

Squeezing Renee's hand, Meg whispered, "How bad was it?"

Renee shrugged. "It could have been worse. Chris knows that you and Dean have the support. He knows that his lies are known now. The chief is pissed that he used the department as a reason to cheat on you. Personal lives are one thing, to use the department the way he did is another." Shifting in her chair, Meg closed her eyes. "What else is bugging you?"

A heavy sigh escaped Meg. "I screwed up the last time I saw Dean. Like big time. We had a disagreement and I actually left my own house to sit at the waterfront for a while. The guys were here for dinner and ended up looking for me."

Renee rubbed the back of Meg's hand. "I heard about that. It was Tuesday night. I didn't hear about it then, but later. Yeah, Dean was torn up over that but you guys made up. He checked in on you and decided to build some big thing in the back yard because Seth told him that I'd freak if he did that without checking with me first. Dean said you knew about 'the project'." Meg shrugged. She didn't know what Dean had done in the back yard. At this point, it really didn't matter. "You made a mistake. This early in your relationship, you both are going to make them. Are you going to run away from each other or are you going to fight to make this work? You have to decide if you want to fight for Dean. He has to decide if he wants to fight for you. You can't fight each other. It sure seems like he is ready and willing to fight for you and he doesn't care who knows it."

Tears welled in Meg's eyes. "I had told him earlier in the week that I wanted us to be, um, 'more solid' before we went public. Now I feel so stupid. How much more solid can that man be?" Renee snorted in agreement. "I can't make him pay for Chris's mistakes. I have to be confident and stand beside him because I am proud to be with Dean. Really and truly I am."

"Men like to hear the words every once in a while, but you have to show them. You need to show up, Meg. Be there with him."


	13. Falling For You

The sun was going down when the last trucks pulled away from Meg's house. Dean and Meg stuffed pizza boxes and soda bottles in the recycling bin. "When does recycling get picked up?" he asked.

"Friday morning is trash pick-up and every other Monday is recycling." Meg answered through a yawn. He caught hold of her shoulders and gently began to rub. "Oooooh, that feels good."

His lips grazed her ear. "You had a very long shift followed by an ass-kicker call. Then you came home to a yard full of unexpected guests. You deserve some pampering." His deep voice shot straight to her mid-section, causing tingles that were not conducive to sleep.

"Dean…" Meg sighed.

"What?"

She rolled her shoulders and leaned her head back against him. "Dean, you know I am falling for you, right?"

"Falling?" he questioned, rubbing a little harder.

"You want it all on the line?" she whispered. He nipped her ear. "The night you left, after we… I… that night…"

"Meg…" Dean tried to cut her off.

"Shh. I have a point." She shushed him. "I couldn't sleep in my room. It was full of happy memories of us and I couldn't stay there without you. It would ruin the happiness, so I sat in the hallway and cried. I wondered why, after just three days, the thought of losing you hurt so much. The pain was comparable to what I felt when my marriage imploded." She turned in his arms and met his gaze. "Three days, Dean. We'd been in a quazi-relationship for _three days_ and the thought of losing you was tearing me up just as much as losing my _husband_. Yes, saying that I'm _falling for you_ is an understatement."

Dean's thumb rested over her lips, keeping her from saying anything else. His own eyes were welling up, so he took a moment to gain composure. "You weren't losing me. We just needed to not say something we'd regret." He spoke softly. "I swear I wanted to hold you all night. That and beat the hell out of… Yeah. Time was the best option." He rubbed his thumb across her lips. "There wasn't anything _quazi_ about us, either. Not from my point of view." He leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. "I swear, Meg, I am in this and have been with everything I've got. You, me, and the kitchen sink. All or nothing, hon. I want it all." He felt the tremor flow through her body. "Yes, I know it seems fast since I just jumped on your boat last Sunday, but you have to take into account that we've known each other for years. We don't have the 'get to know you' crap that other people have to deal with. I already know that you hate coffee, you like your pizza extra cheesy, and you don't crack under pressure." He nipped her bottom lip before whispering, "I know you haven't been hunting but you know how to fish. I can picture you in camo, lying next to me in a field waiting for that deer to get just a wee bit closer so you can take your shot. I know you have the patience to sit there quietly and not have to gab the entire time. I also know you wouldn't squeal at the sight of blood when it's time to dress the carcass." Meg smiled. "At the same time, I know bringing you flowers would put a smile on your face and get me a very nice kiss. You can handle me and the guys but you are a woman and should be treated like one."

"Dean…"

"Hush. Your man is telling you how fast he fell for you. How much he already loves you. Let him speak." A broken sob escaped Meg. Dean kissed her softly. "I do love you, you know."

She nodded. He chuckled quietly before she whispered, "I love you, too."

Dean scooped her around the waist, letting her wrap her legs around him tightly and wind her arms around his neck. "Don't let go." he ordered. Meg gazed into his eyes as he walked up the back steps to the kitchen door. He turned the knob, opened the door and shut the locked door firmly behind them. He walked through the house pausing to flick the lights off as he headed directly for the bedroom. Once he crossed the threshold, he stopped and moved his hands to her ass pulling her in more tightly. "I love you." he whispered. Meg kissed the corner of his mouth. Dean caught her lip in his teeth lightly and backed her against the door. "I love you so much." He tilted his head to the side to kiss her as hard as he could. Meg gripped the back of his head as she fell into his emotional bliss. He let her legs slide down and touch the floor. Without giving any space, Dean unfastened her jeans. "I want to make love to you tonight. Really and truly make love to you." he whispered against her lips. Meg held her breath. He started pulling her jeans open and off her hips. Once they were on the floor, he returned his hands to her cheeks. "You don't know how much I have dreamed of this…" He picked her up and carried her to the bed, sitting her on the edge of the mattress. Slipping her shirt over her head he murmured, "Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous." He knelt on the floor at her feet. Meg reached to touch him only to have him place her hands on her knees. "No touching. Just… be." He trailed his palms up her thighs. "I can feel you. The heat…" Meg's fingers clenched. Dean slid one hand through her panties. "Do you know how badly I want to rip these off of you?" He leaned forward to nuzzle against her crotch. Meg wiggled and Dean grabbed sides of the cotton coverings to pull them off. "I don't want to risk hurting you." he explained, dropping the underthings to the floor.

"Dean…" Meg sighed as she gave up holding her legs and began caressing the back of his head. Dean pulled Meg to the very edge of the mattress and spread her knees so he could kneel between them. Meg began to pant. Dean leaned forward, nuzzling against her before sliding his tongue along her center. Meg's fingers began to curl as she started to wail. Dean tasted sweet honey as she screamed his name and rocked against him. "Please… I need you!" She clutched at him as she begged. Dean stood, shucking his pants in the process. His t-shirt tore as he whipped it over his head. He was literally shaking as he sat on the bed and pulled Meg onto his lap, straddling his waist. "Dean, Dean… I love you." She propped her arms on his shoulders and folded her hands behind his head. Dean held her hips as Meg slowly lowered herself onto him. "Oh… oh… oh… DEAN!" Meg convulsed and screamed, bowing backwards in his arms.

He held her firm as he thrust upwards. "MEG!" Falling backwards on the bed, he hugged Meg to his chest.

"I love you." she whispered.

"I love **_you_**." he said back. "You can sleep comfortably tonight in our bed. I'm right here."

Meg tilted her head up to look at Dean. "That sounds so perfect. 'Our bed.'"

Hugging her tightly, Dean kissed her forehead. "We're still moving at light-speed, but this is where I am sleeping every night, nowhere else." Meg curled into his chest, letting him feel her nod of agreement. "That was easy."

* * *

The sound of an angry voice followed by the slam of a door jarred Meg from her peaceful slumber. Sitting up in bed she stretched her arms over her head and looked around the room. _Dean's shirt is still on the floor so he's here somewhere. His side of the bed is still warm… His side of the bed. I like the sound of that. Damn, we haven't even been together for a week and he has a side of the bed. We're moving really fast but it feels so right._ The smile on her face was hard to contain. Letting her feet hit the floor, it felt natural to pick up his shirt and pull it over her head. "So the neck is a little ripped? I won't wear it out of the house." She quickly found a pair of athletic shorts and headed downstairs.

Dean was standing near the front door, arms crossed over his bare chest, glaring out at the street. Meg walked up behind him, caressing his back and arm quietly. When her hand first made contact, his bicep contracted involuntarily. _Wow. He's not happy._ Meg peered out the window, kissing his shoulder in the process. _Why in the hell was_ _ **she **_**_here_** **?** Dean entwined his fingers through Meg's before kissing her forehead. "She wanted to see you. Apparently someone forgot to mention that you have a man in your life. She thought you were back in town to try and get him back." Meg made a vomit sound before muttering a very negative comment. Dean didn't smile. "I told her that you wanted nothing to do with him and that you were very happy **_with me_**. I told her that Chris needed to stay far away from us. She didn't like that. He's been telling her some crazy tale. She didn't know what to make of me answering the door shirtless, I can tell you."

Meg slid her free hand up to the back of his neck. "I can tell you that I don't want some other woman looking at your goodies, that's for sure."

Dean moved Meg so she was between his body and the door. "My 'goodies'?" he repeated. "What goodies would she be able to see, Meg?" He lifted their one entwined hand over her head as he lowered his face to her level. "Be careful here, Meggie." His nostrils started to flare and his eyes seemed to glisten. Meg tilted her head as she slid her hand from his neck down his bare chest. "Oh, Meg. Do you have a problem with that?" He lowered his head a bit more, nosing along her neck. "You have my shirt, babe. A shirt that is torn… torn a lot. Torn so much I can see right down to those plump, bare breasts. Dear God, Meg." She tilted her head back as he kissed along the base of her neck. "Seeing you in my shirt… You have no idea what that does, do you?"

Meg toyed with his ear. "Show me." she throatily whispered, tucking her foot against the small of his back.

"Damn tease." Dean muttered. He let go of her hands and yanked at the button on his jeans. The zipper jerked open and he yanked the faded material down just part way down his thighs. "Woman…" He tucked his thumbs in the waistband of her shorts and tugged. "No panties?" It was a near curse. Meg closed her eyes as he grabbed her thighs and lifted her against the door. "Shit, Meg." he cursed. Meg's fingernails curled into his shoulders as her heels dug into his ass. Dean slammed inside of her as she screamed his name. "Meg!" he grunted.

"Yes!" she screamed and slammed her head back into the door. Assured that she was right with him, Dean took her hard and fast, pounding her against the front door. "DEAN!"

"MEG!" he groaned as he slammed home one last time.

"Almost as good as waking up in your arms, but not quite." she said a few minutes later.

"Ha." Dean muttered. "Coulda done without the crazy visitor." He kissed her temple. "You can have crazy wild wall sex any time you want." Meg laughed. "How about against the refrigerator at lunch? In the garage before work tomorrow? Oh, I know! The bed of the truck!"

He slowly separated, lowering her to stand on her own. Meg pinched his nipple. "You are nuts."

"Nuts over you." He corrected.

She blushed as she pulled on her shorts. "Whatever. I'm not knockin' boots in the bed of a pickup truck. That's way too… ugh. But christening the boat is definitely a possibility. And I took off work tomorrow." She didn't look over her shoulder as she headed back up the stairs to change.

"Where? You what? Wait!" Dean was tripping over his pants as he tried to pull them up and come after her at the same time. Meg's laughter drifted down the stairs. "That's not funny! Meg! MEG!" Once his pants were high enough, Dean took the stairs two at a time and caught her quickly. Meg squealed happily as he lifted her over his shoulder. "You don't work tomorrow? When did this happen?"

Wrapping him in a loose hug, Meg explained happily, "I kinda figured that we were on this path towards a relationship and we'd be seeing each other. Since I knew my schedule and you have off the weekend, I took off Sunday. I'd built up time and hadn't used it, so… Yeah. It was a good time to. And that was before this 36 hour shift from hell and a half." He kissed her nose. "It's just a happy coincidence that they really owed me the time now." she shrugged."

He set her back on her feet. "So, before I hook up the boat…"

Meg twitched her finger in front of his face. "Got too much work to do. No, no, no." she laughed.

He pulled her close and growled, "I heard you say that we could christen the boat. You can bet your ass THAT's happening this weekend."


	14. GardeningOf Sorts

Meg wiped the back of her hand across her brow. "I can't believe that he let you out of the bedroom." Looking over her shoulder she laughed at the group of friends rounding the corner of the house.

"Not funny." Dean grumbled. "Besides, who says we need a bedroom?"

Meg grabbed a nearby dandelion and chunked it at Dean. "Watch it, buster." When his eyes grew to comic proportions, she began to laugh.

"By God, I don't remember the last time I heard her laugh like that." Seth whispered.

"She's fu-freakin' gorgeous." Roman muttered. Dean's glare stopped him in his tracks. "Dean's a lucky man.

Renee slapped both men on the shoulders as she sauntered past them. "Dean knows he's lucky. If you intend on getting lucky tonight, you're gonna get in there and get some work done too, right, Seth?" Seth stopped smiling and grabbed a shovel.

Another clump of dandelions flew at Dean. "See what you started? Now you have Seth in trouble. You are just being naughty today."

Seeing Dean's glare, Meg jumped up to run away just as he leapt across the stones, caught her around the waist and rumbled against her neck, "Wanna see naughty? Really?" Meg howled in laughter. "You find that funny? Really?" Unbeknownst to Dean, she had a handful of dirt in one hand and a frog in the other. Renee laughed at the couple as he swung her friend in a wide circle and she dribbled the dirt in his hair. "WOMAN!" he hollered. As he lowered her feet to the ground, she turned and dropped the frog down his shirt before racing across the yard. "What in the… A DAMN FROG?!" The confused amphibian fell from his shirt as he chased Meg, leap-frogging over Renee's ducked head.

Renee sat on the ground next to the mud hole that would become a pond and watched the couple run around the yard. Seth sat down beside her. "Notice that Meg was never like this before?" he whispered against his girlfriend's hair, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

She nodded, watching Dean scoop Meg into his arms and curl her stomach up to his face for a set of childish 'raspberries'. "These two are perfect together. They can relax and have fun or handle the life and death calls together. It's a delicate balance."

Seth continued to speak into Renee's hair. "I used to consider Chris a friend. I used to respect him. Now, seeing Meg with Dean, I wonder what actually went on behind closed doors. Has he really changed that much or are we just now seeing the real man? What did she have to put up with?" Renee gave a minute shake of her head. "I know, I know. I'm just telling you. Meg told us that she wondered why we were, for lack of a better word, siding with her instead of him. She's bound to talk to you about it, too."

"So I have proof and not supposition. Got it."

"Exactly." Seth agreed. "You see what we see. You can confirm what we told her but in your own words. She just needs to know we are serious about having her back."

Renee looked at him through the corner of her eye. "Babe, there's no doubt about that after yesterday."

"She doesn't know about that." he muttered.

Roman squatted beside his friend. "I wouldn't advise dropping frogs around Renee." Seth looked confused until he realized that Meg and Dean were now in earshot. Renee tilted her head signaling that she caught the change of topic and tweaked Seth's ear. "Don't say I didn't warn you. You knew Renee would get you back."

With a quick wink she dribbled a small amount of dirt on Seth's shoulder, careful to avoid his hair. Meg clapped her hands and laughed. _This is the way it's supposed to be. Friends teasing friends. Laughter and fun. Light and easy. Why wasn't it like this before?_ The light and easy-going atmosphere was shattered by the piercing shriek of the pagers attached to the hips of the men scattered around the yard. "Engine, Tanker, Brush Truck, Ambulance… Respond for the field fire…" Mild cursing filled the yard as tools were dropped and bodies lateralled obstacles, taking the most direct route toward the front of the house. Meg paused long enough to lock her doors and grab her keys.

"MEG! Let's GO!" Spinning on her heel, she refrained from letting her mouth gape open in shock as Dean's truck still idled in front of her house. Renee waved from the truck bed. "Come on!" he waved to her. She raced to the truck and hurdled the side, landing beside Renee. The women clutched the side-rails as the tires squealed. Meg felt the adrenaline rush and couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. _Not a life-or-death situation like that wreck, thank God. It sure feels good to be running with these guys again._ The truck screeched to a halt and everyone bailed out. Meg followed the group in, heading for her old locker.

"Meg! You're by the ambo!" Not sure who called out, she shrugged and changed course. Sure enough, her locker had been moved and was now next to the ambulance. She pulled her gear out, yanked it on, and jumped into the passenger seat. Renee had the ambulance started already so as soon as she shut her door they pulled out of the station. Meg hit the siren and let the airhorn scream.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Renee asked.

Meg laughed. "I do this all the time at work." She glanced at Renee before scanning the sky again. "This feels like home, though."

"This is where you belong and you know it."

Meg pointed over the tree tops. "This is gonna get nasty." Renee drew in a deep breath and released it slowly.


	15. Field Fire

"Engine on scene with command. We need 6 additional brush trucks and two additional tankers to this location. Start an additional engine company for manpower support." Meg sent a silent prayer heavenward as Renee parked on the opposite side of the road from the fire. The chief had command and was directing the fire fighters and equipment into what had the potential to turn into a fiery hell.

Meg set her helmet on the seat and began preparing for worst-case scenario. "What are you doing?" Renee asked.

"At the very least we are going to give someone O2. I'm praying that's the only thing we have to do." Renee raised an eyebrow. "Look, we can do a triage ourselves and take care of our guys or they can call in a bunch of other companies. Let's show Chief that we've got this. Take a couple of tanks and get the masks ready. Set them up there. Then get the gauze and…" Renee was surprised by the organization and ideas that Meg had.

"Fire ground to EMS. Report to fire ground." Renee and Meg raced across the road to grab the next overheated firefighter and led him to the back of their ambulance.

"Drop the jacket on the ground and sit on it. We're going to give you some O2 and water. We'll monitor you and see if you need transport." Meg wasn't surprised that his machismo had him waving his hand at her as he tried to breath in the pure oxygen. "Yeah, yeah. I know. You are ready to go back and join your brothers. Hate to break it to you but you are done for the day. Follow my directions and you might avoid a trip to the ER. That's not a promise, though."

"Fire ground to EMS."

"Stay put." Meg ordered before racing back across the street for another patient. _Are they actually beating this beast? The smoke seems to be billowing more than it was when we got here._ She grabbed hold of another wobbly fire fighter and led him to the ambulance. "Oh, Seth, you just wanted to see Renee." Meg teased as she lowered him to the ground slowly.

Meg's radio squawked to life. "Fire ground to EMS. Fire ground to EMS. The fire has jumped the road. Repeat, the fire has jumped the road."

Meg snatched Seth from the ground and gave him a shove towards the open ambulance doors. "Get in!" She moved to the next reclining firefighter and extended her hand. "Up and into the rig. Let's move!" She grabbed the oxygen bottle and said, "Take it with you." A total of four men sat on the edge of the ditch. Meg shoved them all in the direction of her ambulance. "Talk later. Get in now!"

"EMS, what is your status?"

"Clearing the area, sir." Meg pulled the last man from the ground and helped him through the open doors of the ambulance. "Start 'er up, Renee." she hollered as she snagged an oxygen bottle and slammed the back doors. She raced to the passenger side and snatched her helmet. "I'm going to guide you out. Follow my lead." Meg had her gear fastened and tapped the side of the unit. Renee cursed. Meg stepped back and looked around. The fire was definitely gaining strength. "Let's move!" She motioned for Renee to back the ambulance up. The rear alarm began to sound. "Good to go!" She gave Renee a thumbs-up. They worked their way backwards foot by careful foot. Firemen raced across the road battling the inferno. Meg made sure they didn't get struck by the slow moving ambulance. One weary fighter succumbed to smoke inhalation and heat on the periphery of Meg's vision. As she saw him sink to his knees, she tapped the side of the ambulance to signal to Renee to pause her movement. Meg raced to the fallen man's side and threw his arm over her shoulder, hoisting him and shuffling him over to the waiting vehicle. She stuffed him into the passenger seat and shut the door behind him. Care could wait. Time was of the essence. Renee began backing up again. Watching the road, Meg realized that they were almost clear of the field and backing through the woods. The road took a bend and then would head back towards town. They should be almost in the clear she figured, hoping to find a new place to set up a triage area. With the fire raging the way that it was, she feared many fire fighters were going to get hurt. Sending a silent prayer heavenward that she was wrong, she put her hand on the side of the ambulance and kept walking. Her heart leapt with fear when she heard the unmistakable cracking sound fill the air just slightly over her head. She slammed her hand against the warm metal, hoping that Renee would stop and that they would be okay. Meg watched as the tree sparked, split, and fell across the road, narrowly missing the back bumper. "Pull up! Pull up!" _I'm not a truckie but these patients are my responsibility. We've got to get clear and that means that tree has to go. More are going to fall. Now, Meg, you can stand here and wait for someone to do it for you or you can put on your big girl thong and do it yourself. I hate thongs. Nothing more than dental floss for your butt. Who invented them, anyway? The day I die, I wouldn't want to be wearing one of those. Why am I thinking about thongs and dying, anyway? I need to get a 2 inch hose and water. I can handle that._ Through the smoke and cinders, Meg gave Renee an 'okay' sign and headed for the nearest engine.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Dean shouted over the crackle of the fire and the rumble of the engines.

Meg reached for a hose coupling. "Tree down blocking the road. We can't leave. Gotta put out the fire."

Dean cursed loudly. He pulled his radio and called the chief. "Engine to chief. EMS still on the fire ground. Tree blocking roadway. Engine assisting." The chief was heard cursing over the airway. Dean pulled another hose and found a minor pump to utilize. "Won't be much but…" He looked around for Meg. "MEG?!" She came through the smoke haze with a chain saw.

"Renee can't drive over the tree. We gotta make a hole. You want to spray or cut?"

Dean shook his head. "It's not exactly safe to cut on a still burning tree."

Meg started pulling on the chainsaw. "You're hose and I'm saw."

Dean cursed again. "Stubborn-ass woman. Put water on the damn tree." He got the saw started with one pull.

Ten minutes later Renee had the ambulance through a hole and into a field on the other side of the woods. Meg had a new triage area set up and had called for all-hands on deck for ambulances as well as firefighters in the county. The next rescue squad joined the triage as an oxygen tank refill station, both for patients and for firefighters. Meg took charge of it all. The chief knew that his people were getting refreshed and only came back when she deemed that they were safe to fight again.

The field fire raged for six hours. Only two fire fighters were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion. Meg and Renee worked together to treat numerous other cases in their makeshift triage area, thankful that they didn't have to send the firefighters on for further medical care. One hundred and twenty-seven acres of land was scorched. What had begun as a field fire had worked its way into the edge of the woods, requiring three loads of water to be dropped from helicopters so the entire scene didn't become totally out of control.

Eight hours after the first alarm, Meg and Renee were finally back at the fire house and restocking the ambulance in drained comradery. Each drawer was pulled open, wiped and cleaned, counted, and stocked. Seth and Dean finished washing the engine and made their way over to sit on the back bumper. "I can't believe the two of you." Dean muttered.

"You can't?" Seth shook his head. "I was in the box-on-wheels when the tree fell. Renee wasn't letting anyone out and I couldn't see Meg. I think I need new turnout gear. Mine kinda smells like shit." Meg looked up with a raised eyebrow. "What? You need clarification on that? A tree crashed into the ground and I couldn't find you. Yeah, I think I…wet myself."

Meg shook her head and went back to counting gauze. Renee ran her fingers through Seth's hair. "It was edgier than any of us were used to this time. We're all okay though." Dean nodded. "I think we need to set up a drill on what to do if a fire jumps the road like that. I certainly wasn't prepared for changing triage locations and backing the ambulance through the smoke like that. If we plan for it and train then we won't have as many goofs."

Dean nodded. "We train with the Hurst and the Jaws of Life. We train with the hoses and water pressure so why not? I like it. And… you know when you have a great idea like that, you get to plan the drill. Have at it!"

"Son of a bi…" The rest of the group laughed as Meg swore under her breath before slamming a drawer and leaning back against a counter with her arms crossed against her chest. "Know what you're in for, Big Boy."

"Bring your worst." Dean taunted.

Seeing Meg's raised eyebrow, Seth propped his arm on Renee's shoulder. "Are we sure we want Meg planning this? She looks rather evil right now."

Renee nodded. "She's motivated. Meg's the one to do this."

"I agree. That's why Meg and I will plan the training **_together_**." Seth, Dean, and Renee turned to face the department's chief with their mouths gaping open. "Problem? Didn't think so." He turned on his heel and walked away.


	16. Shower

Meg looked at the grey water swirling around her feet. _At least it's not black anymore. That's progress. Getting cleaner…_ She lathered her hands again and soaped her body yet another time. "That's my job." Dean growled in a gravelly-tired voice as he climbed into the shower. Meg shrugged a shoulder as she pushed the bar of soap into his chest and reached for the shampoo. She raised an eyebrow in perturbed shock when the bottle was snatched from her hand. "I said, 'that's my job.'" Four times as much shampoo as Meg would usually use was poured into his much larger palm before the bottle was dropped onto the floor and his hands were plunged into her hair. Wordlessly he rubbed along her scalp, not knowing the 'right' way to wash someone else's hair. Then he moved her so the spray would hit more directly and rinse the soap from her hair. This pressed certain body parts more closely together. "We need to do this when we aren't so damn exhausted." He thought the sound she made was one of agreement. Pulling Meg from the direct shower stream, Dean kissed her forehead and ordered, "You head to bed. I'll finish and be there soon."

Meg shook her head. "I need to wash one more time. The water hasn't run clear yet." Dean snagged the washcloth and looked for the soap that he'd dropped when he'd grabbed for the shampoo. Meg found it first by the drain and crouched down to get it. _Dear me… I'm level with his cock. He said we were exhausted but someone is happy to see me._ She handed him the bar of soap but didn't move. Dean put the soap in the washcloth and started to work up a lather, blocking his view of her crouched position, until he froze like a statue when Meg's hand touched his thigh. Seconds later, she licked the very end of him like she was tasting the tip of a soft-serve ice cream cone. Light, easy, barely there. Dean knew she was there. Her fingers slowly wrapped around, one…by…one… and then slid up and down… stroking him. Her tongue came back for another taste but this time stayed longer, preceding a tantalizing dip between her lips. Dean had to look, to watch. He grasped hold of the shower bar with one hand and clutched the soap in the other. Meg looked up and met Dean's eyes. She opened her mouth and took him in. The soap hit the shower floor. Dean dropped the washcloth as he moaned, thrust, and reached for her all at the same time. Meg didn't break eye contact as she sucked on him harder. He moaned again, pulling on the shower bar hard enough to make it groan. The intensity of looking into each other's eyes as she knelt at his feet and pushed him closer to the brink was hotter than anything either one had experienced. Dean let go of the shower bar and grabbed Meg's arm to pull her up. "D…" Before she could finish saying anything, Dean had pulled Meg to her feet, spun her around, bent her over at the waist, and muttered a quick, "Hang on." He kept one hand solidly on her hip and the other played with her clit as his face lay against her spine. He was inside of her, pounding against her as if he'd lost the ability to fight the baser instincts. This was primal. This was rutting. This was f#cking. After a day like today, Meg needed it just like this. She threw back her head and screamed as she came.


	17. Relaxing Day on the Boat

Dean looked through the windshield of the boat at the bathing suit-clad woman lounging on the bow and smiled. _She deserves a day in the sun._ The cut-off jeans hugging her thighs were just cruel in his mind. _Why wear those? I mean, damn. I could just put my finger in the holes and rip the damn things off… or the frayed bottoms would prolly rip pretty quick, too. Easy access but what's the point in even wearing them?_ He glared at the offensive denim as he guided the boat out of the channel.

"Are you alright?" Dean was surprised to hear Meg ask. "You look angry."

"Nah. Not at all. Why don't you come 'ere and we'll go over steering again." Meg slipped from the bow to the driver's seat quickly. Perched easily on Dean's thigh, she began to throttle the engine and steer the boat with his guidance. "So you remember your lessons. Good girl." he said against her neck. She laughed until he said, "I think you should have a reward remembering so much."

"Dean…"

"Dean what?" he asked, nibbling on her ear. "Dean, that's a great idea? Dean, I can't wait, I want you here and now? Dean, I'm really a bad girl and I need to be spanked? You have to tell me, Meggie."

The trembles racing along her body spoke volumes but what Meg said was, "Dean, you're crazy."

He chuckled against her neck and agreed. "Crazy over you. Certifiable." He popped the button on her waistband. "Throttle up a bit." He pulled the zipper down. "Turn to port." He wiggled the shorts until they slid and fell to the floor. "Throttle up a bit more." He grabbed a towel and threw it over his other leg, ready to cover her nakedness if anyone came near. "Follow the path on the GPS. There's a good fishing spot about 10 nautical miles from here." He brought his fingertips right to her entrance and tapped. "All you have to do is look at the GPS and follow the previous path. Easy, right?" Meg nodded. "Remember, sound travels really well over water." He slid two fingers inside her already wet channel. Meg bit her lip. She tried to hold her body still as Dean's fingers moved in and out, rubbing and touching her nether bits. With each stroke on her clit, she was closer and closer to not caring who heard. "Throttle back, we are almost there."

"No kidding." she muttered.

Dean's chuckle sounded strained. "Throttle back some more and turn starboard." His fingers were still inside her but remained still. "We're very close." Feeling him moving behind her should have been a warning, but Meg couldn't tell that Dean had lowered his own fly to expose himself. Knowing that there weren't any houses around and seeing that there weren't any boats at the time, Dean lifted Meg enough to straddle his waist. "I've got you. Just hold on to the wheel." Meg closed her eyes and sighed his name as he filled her. "You, me, and nature. Couldn't ask for anything more perfect."

"You could move." Meg groaned, rocking on him as much as she dared. Dean grasped her hips with both hands and pulled her down HARD.

He growled, "…or I could move **you**." Then he repeated the motion of pulling her onto him. Meg leaned her head back onto his shoulder and whimpered into his ear. "You like-ey." She raised one hand to grasp his ear and tug. "Mmm… feisty."

"Finding… that… side…" she admitted, nipping at his jaw. "Please, I need to…"

Dean looked around quickly before cutting the engine. Then he turned Meg in his arms as he laid her on the floor of the boat. He kept her knees over his elbows, folding her in half so he had complete control. The grip he had on her shoulders kept her stationary as he thrust back into her warm, waiting womanhood. His mouth sealed over hers, keeping their grunts, moans, sighs, and screams muffled.

"Wow…" she sighed. He smiled down at her and wiggled his eyebrows. "You realize that you're just not right?"

Smiling even wider, Dean dropped a quick kiss on her nose before untangling their limbs carefully. "And you **_love_** that about me." Meg laughed and shook her head. "You know it's true. And you know you wouldn't change a thing."

"Very true. Not one thing." Reaching for her shorts, Meg redressed quickly.

"Those are what started this. Well those and you promised we could christen the boat." Dean said casually as he re-fired the engine and headed for the fishing spot he'd been talking about. Fully dressed, Meg stood beside him with her hand on his shoulder. "Holey cut-offs with fraying fringe that looks like I could just rip them off of you in seconds leads me to think about taking you in all kinds of ways, Meg."

"Promises, promises." His arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her anchored at his side. Meg draped her arm around his shoulders, leaning against him. "It's not the shorts that make you a wild man, it's you. I like all the facets of you that I am getting to know – the patient teacher, the hard-worker, the possessive and jealous side that I don't see very often, thankfully, the romantic lover, the listening ear, the shoulder to cry on, the protector, the organizer, and now the spontaneous and, um, feisty lover."

"You have no idea, babe. You have no idea." Meg laughed. "Laugh now. When I have you tied to our bed and I am making you come for the fifth time in a row, you won't be laughing then."

Meg tilted Dean's face up by grasping the underside of his chin. "I agree. I won't laugh then. That's the day I'll marry you. Hope you're up for the challenge, big boy." She tapped his nose with her finger before turning away and picking up a fishing rod.

 _Dammit! Me and my big mouth._ Funny how they both thought the same thing at the same time.


	18. One Tough Call

Meg couldn't help but laugh as she carried her catch into the kitchen. "Who caught dinner? Remind me again, please!" She could hear Dean grumbling as he pulled the hose out to rinse off the boat. The door helped muffle the sound of her laughter. "Poor guy. Out-fished by his girlfriend. HaHaHa! These are beautiful, though. Not a whole lot better than freshly caught fish grilled to flakey perfection…" She rinsed the fillets and put them in the refrigerator. Since they were both active in the fire department again, she wasn't going to leave anything on the counter – no use running the risk of spoiling meat. Yesterday's field fire was a prime example of how long and wrong a call could go. With dinner safely secured for the time being, Meg headed back outside to help clean the boat. She grabbed a soapy sponge and went to work on the bow while Dean flushed the engine. About the time Meg finished suds-ing exterior of the boat, Dean was also finished with the motor and began rinsing the soap. "The only drawback to going out on the boat is all the cleanup."

Dean wrapped his arms around Meg and growled, "Wasn't today worth it?"

Meg leaned her head back against his shoulder and folded her arms on top of his, caressing his warm skin with her fingertips. Turning to the side, she placed a kiss on the carotid artery in his neck. Feeling his heartbeat against her lips was interesting and new. She whispered against his skin, "You know exactly what I meant." Dean's arms tightened, pressing his re-awakened excitement against her. Meg pulled her face away from his neck and looked up into his eyes with what could only be described as an ornery glint. "So, is this a persistent condition that you find yourself in or something that only comes up on occasion? You know that if it last for more than four hours…"

"I'm not on any damn blue pills!" Dean thundered. "I'm too damn young for that and you're the reason I… WOMAN!" Meg was laughing at his overly defensive reaction. "You know I'm getting you back for that."

Turning in his arms and tapping her fingers on his chest with a grin blossoming across her face, Meg smirked. "Is that supposed to scare me or arouse me? Hmm? Let me know so I can run or start strippi-ing-ack!" Suddenly she was thrown over his shoulder and they were heading for the back door.

Dean paused mid-stride when warble tones filled the air followed by a piercing shriek. The couple listened to the call that was disatched and sobered quickly. He up-righted Meg and held her face between his hands tenderly. "We don't know who it is and we don't have to go."

Running both hands down his chest lightly, she shook her head. "Yes, we do. We both know it. Just…"

He kissed her forehead hard. "Always." Clutching her hand, he walked Meg to his truck and closed the passenger door. Then he walked to the driver's side and drove to the fire house. Once the truck was parked, the couple met at the tailgate and walked to the bay doors hand-in-hand.

The chief and Roman were standing in front of the fire house in silence. "You know who this is, right?" Roman asked.

Meg looked at the chief and took a deep breath. "Unless you have another qualified EMT here, I don't see another option. I'll go and I'll do it. It'll suck week-old maggot-infested rat balls, but I can treat Chris." She rolled her shoulders and headed for the passenger side of the ambulance.

"Well." The chief looked at Dean and Roman. "With that lovely image, I guess I'll accompany Meg. You two take the medical assist unless someone else shows up. This is going to be tense enough with her there. Dean, try to stay outside if you can. Yes, that's an order." The chief hopped into the ambulance and hit the siren, screaming out of the fire house.

Roman grabbed Dean's shoulder. "Meg is one hell of a woman."

Dean shook his head. "I don't know how she does it. That bastard treated her like shit and she's swallowing it to help him…"

Jay, Seth and Renee walked up from behind the rescue. "Who's helping who?" Catching the look on Dean's face, Renee flushed bright red. "Oh, hell no! You did NOT let her go!" Dean tilted his head as if to say 'really, like I could stop her'.

"Meg and I are secure. And she is the best at what she does. I just need to be there with her, not here gabbing. Get on the rescue if you are going." Dean strode for the big red truck and yanked open the door. His friends scrambled to grab their gear and get on the truck as it rolled out of the fire house.

Roman laid on the air horn. "Just so she knows you are comin'."

"She knows." Dean said. "There's not a doubt in her mind."

* * *

With the ambulance parked in front of her former residence, Meg slammed the passenger door and headed for the back of the rig. "What are you doing?" the chief asked.

"Getting the gurney and supplies. From the information dispatch gave us, I have a suspicion of what we are going to find." Meg swung up into the back and grabbed the 'go' bags, dropped them on the gurney, and gave it a shove towards the chief who easily took the metal frame and started towards the house. Dropping to the ground, Meg secured the ambulance and followed.

Once they arrived at the front door, Chris's girlfriend opened it in tears. "I just don't know what happened. He was fine and then he started slurring and stumbling and falling. He doesn't make any sense to me! He can't move his right side. I just don't know… Why is SHE here?!" she screeched as she caught sight of Meg.

The chief, being a man of very large stature, gently but forcefully backed the screaming banshee into the house and into a hallway. Meg followed him in, thankful that her chief was a gentle giant. _Chief might be damn near seven feet tall but he'd rarely hurt a fly. Well, unless he gets really pissed. I've only seen that a couple of times and it's a scary sight. Usually he's such a sweetheart._ Kneeling on the floor beside her slumped former husband, she began taking his vitals. _Time to focus. If this isn't a bad drunken episode, if this really is a stroke, then it's bad. He's too young. It's gonna be massive. We're already inside the window and don't know how long he's been like this._ "Chief, we need a time frame!" she shouted. "Critical information!" _Shit, shit, shit. What the hell, Chris?_ As Meg used her penlight to check his pupils Chris incoherently garbled a mismatch of sounds as he tried to grab for her arm. Meg wrapped her hand around his wrist and crooned softly, "Chris, I know you are scared. You have got to try and regulate your breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Stay calm. Shhh…" Meg heard the sound of multiple footsteps approaching. "Do you know who I am?" Chris nodded. "That's good." Meg held up one finger on the hand that wasn't restraining Chris. "Do you know where you are?" He nodded again. "That's good." Meg drew in a breath. "Do you know what happened?" Chris shook his head. "Alright. It's alright. Breathe. Breathe. Slow, calming breaths." Meg looked towards the hall. "Chief! Really need that info! How far into the window are we?" Returning her gaze to Chris she gentled her tone. "I know you want to fight. That will make this really bad. We're going to put you on the gurney. That is going to happen. If you help, that would be great. If you fight, we'll just tie you down and that will scare you more." Roman took the foot of the gurney and brought it alongside Meg. Jay stood beside the gurney and Seth stood at the head. Dean waited behind the couch, watching move that Meg's former husband made. Sick or not, he didn't trust the other man. Meg handed Dean her penlight and moved to the side. "Okay, Chris. We are going to move you now." As one unit, everyone began to move their patient and former friend onto the gurney. Meg watched as Chris's face went from blank slate to confusion to anger as his girlfriend's voice raised in the back of the house. "Easy. Easy!" Meg warned just prior to his combative outbreak. The men got him onto the gurney and she leaned over to pin his knees, grasping for the straps. Dean straight-armed his chest as Seth strapped his forehead. Jay caught one swinging arm and Dean wrangled the other, pinning them to his chest before strapping him there as well. "We got his legs. Let's move before something comes lose." Meg gathered her instruments and bags, following behind the gurney. "Chief!" she called.


	19. Closure

**_Some of you were wondering if I'd lost my mind with the last chapter. There's a method to my madness, I promise. :)  
Enjoy this chapter, my sweets!_**

* * *

"That's exactly what she is. We're trying to save Chris's life and she's bitching about you. You're not there to put the moves on him and sure as hell don't want him back." He pulled away from the house and let the siren scream. "I wanted one thing from her, to know when this shit started. Not a difficult question. Answer it or shut up." He made the turn onto the main street and stood on the accelerator. "Why are you fighting harder for his life that the woman who's with him anyway? That's screwed up, Meg. Eh, not surprised though. You got a big heart. Explains why you'd leave town and not stand up for yourself. We'd have been here for you if we'd known."

Meg looked down at the man on the gurney. _You caused me so much pain. I thought I lost so much because of you. But, in reality, I really found out how strong I really am. I learned not to cower. I learned how to hold my head up high and be independent. I found out that I am lovable and capable of being loved. Thanks to you tossing me away like last week's slimy crab bait, Dean and I found each other. I wish I had the lack of couth to lean over and whisper in your ear all the ways he's made me scream his name, ways that you never did. I wish I was nasty enough to tell you how he's so much move of a man than you, how he made me feel so much more so much faster. Oh, Chris! I'd love to tell you how I've compared the two of you and he comes out ahead in every way! He listens and he hears. He remembers things about me that seem so inconsequential…but they mean so much. He won't let me face you alone, which seems overbearing but it's sweet and protective. He forces me to face what I need to in order to be a better me. Where you kept me pinned in the house, hiding me away from life, Dean brings me into the light and helps me live life! I feel so vibrant and free! How was it that we were married and I felt alone but with Dean by my side all the time I feel more independent and free than I've ever been? I wish I could ask you. I wish I had the guts to spit that in your face just to see your reaction. I guess I am bigger than that. Well, that and knowing that you'll see us around town and won't be able to miss how happy we are._ Meg looked up as the ambulance slowed and turned. "We are approaching the hospital. They are going to start the medication ASAP. I hope it helps, Chris. I really do." As they backed up, Meg opened the doors. "Best guess, two to two and a half hours into a stroke. Girlfriend wasn't very helpful. Became combative on the way out of the house. No additional injuries during restraint or transport. Vitals…" She continued rattling off the necessary information for the nurses to note for Chris's treatment. Once he was transferred to a hospital gurney, Meg retrieved the fire department's supplies and returned to the ambulance bay.

"You okay?" Meg looked up at the chief. "You were staring at him rather intently during the ride." Stowing everything silently, she shrugged her shoulders. "Meg…" She climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door. He got into the driver's seat and looked over at her. "Okay?"

Meg met his look and admitted, "I told you it wouldn't be pleasant. I kept my composure and treated him. I said my closure in my head. He didn't hear it. But I'm okay."

The big man continued to look at her. "I know he used this department in his excuse to cheat on you. You've worked your way through that to return. I promise you Meg, we didn't know. If we had, we wouldn't have covered for him. You know that. We think too much of you to hurt you like that."

Nodding, Meg looked at her hands. The chief slowly pulled away from the ER and Meg began to talk quietly. "I guess you know that I met up with Dean, Seth and Jay while I was out fishing by myself." He grunted in agreement. "I knew the basics of what to do because Chris had taken me out before. Really one of the few things we did, occasionally going out on the boat together when the guys were busy and running calls together. Other than that, a wife's place is keeping the house hospitable. I didn't realize what was happening at first, that he was trapping me in the house. It happened slowly." She swallowed hard. "He went from the sweet friendly guy that I married to the ass that people were talking about. Guys commented on it. We'd get back from a call and they'd ask me how come he'd changed so much. Then I'd have to go home and deal with him." Meg twiddled her thumbs. "Somewhere along the way he got a girlfriend. One day she showed up with a pregnancy test and a sex tape. He said, 'What do you want me to do? There's a baby. Get over it.' At that point, I didn't know where to turn or who to trust. He'd told me so many lies and I felt so alone." The chief made a noise that let her know she wasn't but she continued talking. "When I told the guys out on the boat that day, they said that in the divorce I got them. They'd been his friends first but he'd lost them and they were mine now." Meg looked out the side window and blinked rapidly at the memory, surprised by the sudden onslaught of tears. "I haven't had a peaceful conversation with Chris. Whenever he's around he yells. Looking at him today, I wanted to tell him that I had friends. I wanted to tell him that I had a great job that I love and that I've come back to the fire department. I wanted to tell him that Dean and I are a couple and that he makes me feel more alive than I have in years. I wanted to ask Chris how it is possible that in the years we were married I never felt more free, more independent and strong than I do when I am with Dean. Then I realized I didn't need to say anything to him because anyone who sees us in town will know. And they will **_see_** us because Dean brings me out and wants to be seen with me. I don't need to rub it in Chris's face."

They were just reaching the town limits because the chief was driving so slowly. Wanting to say something important, he pulled to the side of the road. "What happened behind closed doors in the past cannot be changed. I wish, girl, you don't know how badly I wish I'd known what you'd been going through. You would've never left town. Chris would've been run out before he'd knocked up his first bimbo." The way the large meaty hands were clenching the steering wheel left no doubt as to the chief's sincerity. "You've made your peace with the past. You're stronger than any of us could possibly imagine. I know I couldn't have done what you did today." He reached across the expansive divide between the seats and took her hand. "You asked why you feel so free when you are with Dean. Your heart is light because he is right for you. The two of you fit well together. That's all anyone can ask for in this life; to find someone whose quirks match their own."

Meg couldn't stop the tears that pooled in her eyes from spilling down her cheeks. "I promised Dean I would take a hunter safety course so we could go hunting together."

The chief squeezed her hand as he playfully rolled his eyes. "Good lord, woman! You said that to Dean? And he hasn't rushed you to the courthouse yet?" He put the ambulance back on the road and had them back at the fire house within minutes. "Might want to get yourself together really quick. Dean's ready to climb in here already."

Meg looked up to see Dean crossing the road in front of the ambulance and approaching her side. "Thanks for the talk, Chief. I'll keep him calm." Unfastening her seatbelt, Meg slipped from the still-moving piece of equipment and into her boyfriend's arms. Dean caught her easily, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Keeping their faces buried in each other's necks, they just held onto each other in the middle of the street wordlessly.

Once the ambulance was parked, the chief joined the small group watching the couple. "Chris?"

"We'll hear at some point. All I know is our girl got some closure." He stood with his feet shoulder width apart and arms folded across his barrel chest. "It was good for her."

"Dean was a wreck." Seth jerked his chin in his friend's direction.

"Imagine so. He wasn't beside her to protect her. They'll be fine now."

"Protect… What…" The chief had turned and walked into the firehouse. The friends turned and looked at the couple who were now whispering to each other.


	20. Heavy Conversation

"Gotta confess, Meg, I've never felt so sick on a call as I did when I watched you pull away today. God, I wish I'd gotten in that rig with you." Dean whispered against her hair. His hands shook as he rubbed them up and down her back, belying how shaken he still was. Meg's own hands were clasped together and resting against his chest, trembling in their own right. Her nose was nuzzled against his clavicle, demonstrating just how different they were in height. Her breathing was even and measured, odd until one noticed that Meg was concentrating on keeping it that way. "Meg?" Dean tilted his head to the side to get a better view of her face.

Lifting her chin, Meg let Dean see the tears glistening on her lashes. "It was rough but necessary." she admitted, her voice soft but clear. "I didn't say anything to him during the ride to the ER but I thought about it. I thought about things I've wanted to say to him for so long but haven't had the chance or guts to. I thought about how different the two of you are, even though we've said I'm not going to compare you. In every comparison you'd win hands down anyway. Then I recognized how different I am with you." The tears that had been welling in her eyes finally spilled down her cheeks. Dean opened his mouth to speak, to quiet and comfort the woman in his arms. Meg shook her head and continued to share her revelations. "No, I need to say this, Dean. I didn't say it to him but I need to say it to you. See, I wanted to ask Chris a question. I wanted to ask him why, in the years we were married and supposedly a couple I felt so alone but now that I am an independent and single woman, I feel so free and alive when I am with you." Dean clutched the back of her head as he tried to conceal the emotions welling inside. Meg seemed to be on a cathartic release. "Chief says it's because we are right for each other and our quirks match. I think that's a pretty good description of us." Meg's fingers started absently tracing Dean's collar. "I've learned to be strong, hold my head high and try new things. I also learned that I am capable of being loved and I'm worth the risk… that I'm not out on that branch by myself. Fear makes me want to run. I mean, right now I want to run. I want to go to find some place quiet and sit in solitude, but then I realize that being in your arms brings that same peace. It's even better, Dean, because I know that no matter how much I cry or how bad I feel, I'm not alone." A gentle kiss stopped her rant.

Dean leaned his forehead against hers and spoke quietly. "Meggie, I love you. Loving someone means living life to the fullest **_with_** them and **_beside_** them, not sucking the joy of life out of them. You and me, we are right for each other and our quirks do match. Is our life perfect? No and it never will be. We can't expect it to be. What we can do is figure out how to lean on each other and get through the tough stuff together." He kissed her again. "I know that when I hold you in my arms the day seems brighter. The day of the fire; that was a long-ass day that kicked our butts. I had to stay on my feet to get to you, to kiss you and hold you and fall asleep in your arms." Meg raised her arms to encircle his head, caressing the back of his neck gently. "That's teamwork, Meggie. That's being a couple. You say that you are single and independent but I say we are committed to each other. You even said it; I have a goal to meet so you and I can get married and you aren't allowed to go back on your word." Recalling the sexual bar that was set, Meg's head dropped to his chest as a deep blush covered her face. "That's cute, Meggie. You look adorable in rosy pink." He lifted her head and looked into her eyes. Dean's tone lacked any joviality. "I'm serious about this. You're not single and independent anymore. You are one half of a couple, hon. Yes, we have our own lives but I can't think of anything I want more than to come home to you. That's why this" he gestured between their bodies "is different than before. This includes mutual respect, concern, cooperation, and care."

Meg whispered, "I love you." She rubbed her thumbs around the edges of his ears. "Let's go home."

A small smile crossed Dean's face. "I like the sound of that. 'Home.' Reminds me that I need to move some things in so that really is home." At her questioning look he bent far enough to sweep one arm behind her knees and lift her up into his arms. Striding confidently towards his truck, Dean explained his intentions to Meg. "There's no need in keeping my apartment if I am spending every night with you anyway. I might as well start moving my clothes and little things into the house instead of running back and forth between the two places."

"So we're…"

"Living life, just living life." Dean said, sitting Meg in his truck. Leaning against the doorframe, he continued to speak quietly. "No need to put labels on this. We love each other and we're a couple. We're sitting on that branch together." Then he closed the door and walked around the truck. _'Sitting on that branch…' What did he…? Oh! Dean's nervous too. He's not sure that I'm going to let him move in._ Meg watched as Dean opened his door and slid into the driver's seat. _He's got an early day tomorrow, going back to work. I could…Yeah, I could. That would be perfect._


	21. Moving Day

Monday morning, Meg curled into her pillow quietly moaning as Dean kissed the back of her neck. "I'll see you tonight. We still haven't had an official date, don't think I've forgotten." With that whispered promise, he slipped out of the room and out of the house.

Once Meg heard the rumble of his truck fade, she stretched and pulled herself from the bed. "It's going to be a busy day. No sense lollygagging around in bed." She pulled herself up and dressed quickly. The final touch was retrieving a key and address from the bottom of her underwear drawer. "I hope he likes this. I really, really hope so." Tucking the key in her pocket, she clutched the address in her fist with her truck keys and headed out the door.

Finding Dean's apartment wasn't really a challenge. Neither was getting inside. "Holy Toledo! Has the man seen a washer? What in the…?" Meg looked at the pile of clothes that were spilling out of what might have been a hamper at one time. "I can give him credit for putting them in one place, I guess. We will be correcting **_this_** though. Ew!" She took a sheet off the bed and put the dirty laundry surrounding the hamper into the dirty sheet, tied the corners, and carried it to her truck. "Back of the bed for you." She returned for the hamper. "You can't smell good either. Truck bed for you as well." She carried his dresser drawers out and stacked them individually before returning to look at the frame of the dresser itself. "How am I going to move you? Hmm?" Shrugging her shoulders she went in to the bathroom and emptied Dean's medicine cabinet and everything from under his sink. "I'm making progress. Ready to make the first trip to the house." Locking his door, she headed home. She backed into her driveway, unloaded the bed of her truck, sorted the dirty laundry and put one load in the washer to soak in bleach and whitener, and headed back out the door. Meg was soon standing in the middle of Dean's kitchen, looking befuddled and talking to herself. "How does someone have a kitchen with no pots and pans? Really? What in the he… What have you been eating, Dean?" Opening cabinet door after cabinet door, Meg sighed and shook her head. "Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Fiber One, Lucky Charms, Trix, Fruity Pebbles, and FrankenBerry… Really, Dean? Could you have fit a few more kids cereals in here? Ugh. Let's play 'which one of these doesn't belong?'" Still shaking her head, Meg stacked the boxes on the counter. "Fourteen boxes of mac and cheese but no pot to cook it in? You really microwaved it every single time? Ew." Six pudding cup packs joined the growing pile of oh, so nutritional food on the counter. "We are going to have a serious discussion about grocery shopping, buster. Count on it." Moving on to the last cabinet, Meg opened the door and was pummeled by a cavalcade of chips. There were snack-sized bags, medium-sized bags, family sized bags, party-sized bags, bags that had clips, and open bags that had been just been stuffed into the cabinet. "What the hell?!" Meg cursed. "When I see Dean, I swear I'm gonna…" Setting to work picking up the mess, she slammed the bags of chips on the counter and went in search of a broom. "How can someone not own a broom?!" She returned to the kitchen pulling a wheeled duffle. "At least I found something to carry this food." She packed the food in his large piece of luggage and hefted it into her truck. As she returned to the apartment her phone began to ring. "Hey, Renee… Nah, I can't do lunch today, sorry… I'm finding out what a pig Dean really is… Long story… Dear God what is that smell? Renee, how long does it take cheese to turn lime green? I don't mean grow mold, I mean actually turn green and get soft? Yes, it looks like it was cheddar at one time… I know it's gross. That's the least nasty thing in this refrigerator. The milk was solid and actually didn't smell… I'm just putting everything in the trash, not even looking at it anymore. Do you think the freezer would be safe? You are coming over? That's so sweet. I was wondering how I was going to move some of the furniture." Meg finished the refrigerator and tossed everything that was in the freezer. "No use risking life and digestive system over questionable ice cream. We can buy new. Frozen pizzas aren't a decent dietary item anyway." As Meg returned from the dumpster, Renee was pulling into the parking lot. "Right on time." Meg greeted. The friends headed into the apartment and finished packing the silverware, dishes and glasses that Dean had collected. "We'll take it. If we are combining households, I don't want to toss all of his stuff but I don't want you to expect to see this in our kitchen very much either."

"I should hope not." Renee muttered. "This is bachelor –sheek at its finest." Meg bit her lips trying not to laugh at her friend's upturned nose.

"Speaking of, I need help with his dresser and a table in his bedroom. I haven't gotten the bed apart yet."

Renee looked at Meg with comically wide eyes. "You are moving him while he's at work. You are insane!"

Meg shook her head. "No, no. We talked about it. Dean said there was no need in keeping his apartment if he was staying at the house anyway. He wanted to start moving his clothes and things to make it more like home. I thought, 'Why just move a few things? He's here every day. Move everything at one time and get it over with. Make home home for both of us.' I don't think he'll be mad. I think he'll realize what I'm trying to tell him."

"What are you trying to say?" Renee asked.

"I am all in. I want this to last. I want it all with him, lock, stock, and barrel." Meg answered without hesitation.

Renee picked up her phone. "Hey, if anybody is around that can keep their mouth shut, Meg and I need a hand… Yes, it's legal. No, we're not in jail you ass!" Renee huffed before continuing, "Get whomever can come _with their trucks_ and manage to keep their mouths shut for the rest of the day and come over to Dean's apartment." She hung up and muttered, "I swear I am not giving that man any sugar tonight. Asking if we were in jail…"

Meg smothered a laugh as she opened the trunk that held some of Dean's treasures. "Um…" She closed the lid and flipped the lock.

"What? What did you find?" Renee asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Meg denied.

"Meg…"

"Just grab the other end. This goes in my truck." With an eye roll, Renee helped her friend carry the trunk to the truck and load it in the back before the guys arrived.

"You are moving Dean while he's at work? That'll be an interesting surprise." Seth teased.

"You helped him dig up my yard. It's only fair that you help me empty his apartment." Meg retorted. Seth didn't say another word but went right to work moving the heavier furniture into the waiting pick-up trucks.

"I think it's sweet." Renee said. "Can't wait to see Dean's reaction."

"After the way he went off while Meg was on that call yesterday, dude's gonna love this." one of the young firemen muttered. Everyone laughed in agreement.

"Don't just stand around then. Let's get this apartment empty!" Seth ordered. "Everything gets moved and into the house before 5. That's the earliest he gets back to town."


	22. Dean's Home

Dean pulled into town at 5:45, driving past the fire house and approaching Meg's house with trepidation. Seth had sent a briefly worded message – "Ya might wanna head to Meg's… just know that it was her idea." _What's Meg up to? And why would Seth send me a damn cryptic message? Don't bullshit, just spit it out! Dammit! Did she leave? Shave her head? Buy a sports car? Argh!_ Dean wiped his hand across his tired brow. _I promised to take her out to dinner tonight. I don't have the energy to argue, shower and go to a restaurant. Dear God, please don't let this be a huge deal._ He turned into the driveway and turned off the truck. _I shoulda stopped at the apartment and showered first. Always come home smelling zestfully…what the hell am I saying? Come home smelling clean? Ha! This is where I should come to get clean. This is where I should come dirty and smelly, ditch my work clothes and shower so I smell good for my woman. That sounds so good!_ Dean opened the back door with a smile.

"Welcome home!" Meg called from farther back in the house.

"Hey, babe! I love hearing that from you!" Dean called. He put his work boots in his shoe rack and walked across the kitchen, sitting his lunch pail on the counter.

"I'll be down in a minute." Meg called out again.

Dean continued through the kitchen and into the dining room. He froze when he glanced towards the living room. _That's my trunk._ Turning around he realized _and that is_ _ **my**_ _shoe rack._ Another look around allowed him to catch sight of his two-person kitchen table hiding against the wall with a stack of picture frames on top of it. _Those are my bar stools where she wants the breakfast nook. What in the world?_ Dean lengthened his stride as he headed for the stairs. "Babe? Looks like you've been kinda busy today… Got something you wanna talk about?" He took the stairs two at a time and rolled quickly into the bedroom doorway where he stopped cold in his tracks. Meg was closing the drawer of **his** dresser with his clean clothes folded on the bed. "Um…"

Her head was ducked as she shrugged her shoulders. "You said there was no need in keeping two places. You spend all your time here anyway and this seems to be our home. It might as well be official. You take liberties with changing things around as it is so why not, right?" Dean could tell that Meg was starting to get nervous. "I mean, if you don't like it we can always move your stuff back." Dean wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight.

Before Meg could say anything else, he kissed her lips gently. "Best surprise to come home to. Well, you naked would top it, but this is a wonderful surprise too." Before Meg could swat at him, he spun her around so she was standing with her back pressed against his chest. "I was teasing!" he chuckled in her ear. "I didn't know you knew where the apartment was or had a key."

"I swiped it. This took a little last-minute planning, but it was worth it if you are happy."

"I'm happy. Now I only have one home and it's the one I want." Dean's voice rumbled in her ear. "My woman, our home; this is the good life." Meg wrapped her arms around his and leaned her head on his shoulder, letting out a sigh of contentment. "This is how life is supposed to be." He kissed the side of her neck before pressing their cheeks together.

Meg whispered, "I love you."


	23. Work Day

Meg stretched before swatting at her alarm. "So neither of us want to work today?" Dean's sleep-roughened voice groused against her shoulder. Keeping her eyes closed she rubbed her head against the stiff hairs on his chin, drawing a brief laugh. "We can save time and shower together." he offered.

"You just want sex."

Holding her back against his front, he nibbled on the back of her neck and muttered "Nothin' wrong with mornin' nookie." He pulled her from the bed and hauled her to the bathroom.

Meg didn't say anything until she was under the warm water, lathered, and letting the shampoo rinse from her hair. "You might have something here. I'm almost ready for work and almost feeling… ready. And I won't see you for 36 hours because you'll be working, so- _squeak!_ " Dean spun her around and pinned her to the wall. "I, ah"

"You want me." Dean wiggled his eyebrows.

"Always."

"You want me now."

"Yes."

"You want me to make wet love to you."

"No."

"No?" Dean's voice rose in confusion.

"No. I want you to take me hard and fast. Stop fooling around, big boy." Meg grabbed his ears and pulled him into a quick kiss. Dean gripped her hips as he lined himself up with her opening and slammed himself inside. Meg threw her head back and screamed. Dean lowered his lips to the juncture of her throat and shoulder, biting down lightly as he kept up the pace he set. It took seconds for the couple to detonate together. Meg screamed Dean's name as he groaned hers into her skin.

Meg double-checked her gear back and extra BDU's, as was her usual routine. Dean locked the house and met her at the door to her truck. "I know you'll check in when you can. See you tomorrow night and we can go on our first official date. Ya know, now that we are living together, maybe we should go on that date." he said with a smile.

Meg leaned up on tiptoe to kiss Dean before murmuring, "Funny guy, at least in your own mind. Get to work, comedian."

"You love me."

"You know I do." Meg smiled to herself as she got into her truck, latched her seatbelt, and checked her mirrors. Seeing that Dean had pulled out of the driveway, Meg started her truck and backed out as well. "Let's see what the crazy ones can do today." She cranked up her radio and began singing along with Thomas Rhett's T-shirt song. _Last time I sang this while I was driving, I came up on that horrendous wreck. But this song makes me think about Dean and… Good Lord I'm feeling horny already!_ "…lean in for one more kiss, and pretty soon you're sliding off what you've got on and slipping into my T-shirt right there; Your hair messed up like a Guns-N-Roses video; Ooh Ooh So Hot; Still got it up in my head you were moving around in the TV light; I ain't ever seen anything like your dress, my floor, the way you wore…" Meg sang, smiled, and laughed as she drove and thought about their morning escapade.

"Well, someone's in a better mood."

Meg glared. "I told you last time, that 36 hour shift came at a bad time. You know I have no problem working my shifts. Although your attitude is getting really bothersome." She headed for her locker to stow her gear. Returning to the bay, she began looking over the ambulance while the engine crew checked their gear. Minutes later, they were dispatched for a subject stuck in an elevator. Sighing, Meg looked at her co-workers. "It's going to be one of **those** shifts."

"You had to say it! You just had to say it!" the engine driver hollered after backing in later that afternoon.

"A stuck in an elevator… Not one, not two, **three** cats stuck in trees… A person locked out of their house… A person locked in their car – not a child, but a grown person! Climb across the damn seat!" The fire fighter in the front seat listed off.

"My favorite was the paper cut that was dispatched as a 'laceration to the hand'. It was literally a papercut from an envelope and the ambo and engine were dispatched! She didn't even need a bandaid!" another fire fighter recalled.

"Meg cursed us. She said it was going to be one of those days. It was all her fault." The driver shook his head.

"Yep. It was all me." Meg agreed. "All my fault. I just called it like I saw it."

"Yo! Meg! You got a phone call waiting!"

Meg picked up the phone hanging on the wall in the engine bay. "This is Meg."

"Meg, sweetie, we haven't been able to get ahold of you." Renee greeted. "We are at the trauma center with the chief. He had a massive heart attack." Meg turned her back to the wall and sank to the floor. "…not sure about… if you can… can't reach… understand… we'll make sure to keep you… if there's anything… Did you hear me, Meg?"


	24. Losing a Father

**Major tissue warning. Possible trigger warning - _See chapter title!_ Emotional chapter ahead!**

* * *

Meg was slow to answer. "Ah, where was he? How long ago?"

Renee repeated what she had already told Meg, knowing she was shocked by the news. "The chief was getting ready for work and had a massive heart attack in his front yard. His neighbor saw him and called 911. We don't know his prognosis yet. We can't reach his kids to make the necessary decisions. We'll keep you updated on everything, Meg. If anything changes, we'll call."

"Call Dean. He's got Power of Attorney. Since things are so rocky in that family, the chief talked to Dean a year or two ago. I'll get someone to cover the rest of my shift." Letting go of the old-fashioned wall phone, Meg let the corded hand set hang against the wall as she held her head in her hands. The rhythmic beating of the plastic receiver brought her co-workers to her side. "He's like a father to me. I can't… How am I…? Dean's going to…" Tears coursed down her cheeks. Raising her already pink eyes to look at the people on the fringes of her inner-circle, she confessed "The man I call Chief is the man whom I respect most in this world. He's the man that I would want to walk me down the aisle should I ever marry again. He knows what Rat-Bastard put me through and won't let it happen again. I have my family back, the one that means something, anyway. Chief made sure that it was a safe place, that Rat-Bastard wasn't there. He's been suspended. And now Chief's had a heart-attack and I'm not with him. I'm here…" The phone was slammed onto the wall and Meg was hauled of the floor and into a group hug.

"Get to the hospital. Shift's over." someone said gruffly. "We've got ya."

"Get there safely."

"Let us know if you need anything."

Meg's partner held her the longest. "Trauma?" Meg nodded. "Know you won't want to call. Just text. And hon? You know you have family here, too. We love you. Hang in there." Meg nodded again, grabbed her gear (because it was ingrained in her brain) and headed for her truck. Glancing over her shoulder as she pulled out of the parking lot, she saw the apron of the fire house lined with everyone from the station. They were all standing at attention, honoring a man they didn't know. A fresh wave of tears flowed.

* * *

"Do you think Meg will make it?" Renee leaned against Seth's shoulder. His arms wrapped around her waist to support her but to give himself emotional security as well. Unable to articulate anything without his voice cracking, he simply nodded against her hair. Meg had to get there in time. There wasn't another option. She had to get to say goodbye. She had to be with Dean.

The friends observed their normally jovial comrade sitting at the chief's bedside. Bent in what looked to be a prayerful position, his elbows rested on his knees, his hands were folded, his forehead pressed against his fingers…his toes were on the floor but his heels were tapping against the chair legs restlessly. The only sounds in the room were the heart monitor beeping, the ventilator breathing for the chief, and Dean's heels keeping time with the ventilator. _Does Dean realize that he's in sync with the chief's breathing? Is he doing that on purpose?_ Roman mused silently from the corner of the room. Jay's head shot up from his position in the doorway. He stepped to the side and held open the door. Most occupants in the room turned to look and see what caused this reaction, hoping… "Meg." A collective sigh was breathed but unheard by the men in the front of the room.

Meg didn't acknowledge her friends as she rushed to Dean's side. Sliding her hands along his shoulders, she leaned across his back to whisper "I'm here, Chief. I'm right here with you." Her tears dripped from her chin and mingled with the ones that already soaked Dean's chest. "You've been such a big part of our lives, an influence like no other. We love you and cannot imagine life without you. You've protected us, guided us, counseled us, corrected us, and fathered us when our own parents couldn't or wouldn't. You've not just been the Big Show, you've been the Only Show…" Meg's voice broke as she gripped the man's hand as hard as she could. Everyone in the room came closer and touched some part of him; a hand, a foot, his leg. "Rest easy, we have it now." Ducking her head against Dean's neck, Meg let out a sob. The sound of her sobbing was drown out by the wail of the machines.

The Chief was gone.


	25. Trunk

The ticking of the clock on the mantle echoed through the house. _Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tickety tock…_ Nothing else moved. Nothing else made a sound. Meg's head rested against Dean's shoulder but neither one was breathing deep enough to make a sound. They simply took up space on the sofa next to one another. What was there to say? The man that both of them respected, cared for, and admired was no longer here. The man that had stepped into the shoes that their fathers' had abandoned was gone. There was no comfort for this pain. So they sat in silence as the shadows crept across the floor.

* * *

Dean leaned back against the sofa, his arm propped against the cushions and resting against Meg's shoulders. "I can't believe you kept all of this." she whispered.

"We were friends, all three of us. You meant the world to me; I knew you were Chris's wife and that meant you were off-limits… Don't you remember what I said on the boat? I told you that you were someone I couldn't touch because you belonged to another man. As soon as you were free and I knew where you were I was coming after you. You were going to be mine. If I had known what life had been like with him I'd've said all that before, I'd've been in that house with you. You'd've had temptation in your face…" he muttered against her jaw. "I kept pictures of us, all three of us, to remind me of your smile...the good times together. I didn't know how badly he'd treated you. I never believed any of the crap he said. I just knew I missed you. I had to keep mementos of us and it was no one's business that I had them."

"I get it." she whispered, holding pictures of them in her hands. Pictures of Dean, Chris and herself in so many locations – the old back yard, the boat, the fire house, in turnout gear, on the engine, in bathing suits on a beach… some pictures had other friends but the three of them were the constant and center of every one.

Setting them aside, she pulled out more. "If I were a teenage girl, I woulda cut him out of each and every one."

"Glad you're not a girl. I like your manly parts." He snorted. Meg slowly fingered a picture. "This is us with the Chief."

"We got a few pics without Chris. I put them in the bottom." He took that picture from Meg's fingers. "Look at us, Meggie. Look at Chief. We look like we…" he choked up.

"Even then we looked like we were…" She couldn't finish either.

"I want to frame this."

"Agreed."

"It goes on the mantle." Dean said. Meg nodded. "There are pictures of calls that we were on together…"

"I see." Meg said. "When I have time I can scrapbook these and we can put it on the coffee table so people can see it when they visit." A little grin tugged at Dean's lips.

"What about my hunting trophies?" Meg raised an eyebrow. "Look farther. There are a couple of turkey mounts and some deer antlers in there." Both eyebrows were now raised. "A turkey mount is a wooden plaque that holds the turkey's feet and tail feathers." Pride filled his voice. "Mine look **_good_**. Really should put them on the wall. I need to figure out how to display the antlers, too."

Meg leaned forward to get a glimpse of these trophies. "I guess you'll need to show me the appeal of hunting. I just don't understand it yet."

"You will." he assured her. Still speaking quietly, Dean admitted that there was one more item in the trunk. "When I realized how serious we were, where I wanted this to go, I got something. Well, I got something ready for you. Something I knew I wanted to give you." Dean pulled Meg around to face him on his lap. "Meg, I love you. Life is too damn short to wait around and hope that we have tomorrow. Chief thought he had tomorrow. We thought he'd be here and that when we were ready, he'd be here to celebrate with us and walk with us when we decide to… Well I don't want to wait. I want to make us official. I want us to have the same last name, to have that damn piece of paper, to wear the rings. I want it all, Meggie. Even though he's not here… Even though the timing isn't ideal… Will you marr-"

"Yes." Meg cut Dean's question off with her answer. She answered him before he finished. "Yes, I'll marry you. Let's do it. Let's get married." Dean reached into the trunk and pulled out a small gift box.

"This belonged to my grandmother. She gave it to me before my parents cut me off. I've kept it in hopes that one day I'd meet…find…I had it cleaned and put in the trunk until you were ready." He took the ring out of the tissue paper and slid it onto her finger. The simple white-gold diamond ½ carat solitaire glistened on her hand. "Perfection."


End file.
